Leather and Lace
by scarlet-star-witch
Summary: The last thing Daryl Dixon expected to find on the farm was love. No matter how hard he tries, the eldest farmer's daughter would not leave his mind. Both survivors of abuse, unwilling to let themselves fall too hard. A relationship with a Dixon is never easy, especially not during the apocalypse. Daryl Dixon/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, new story here! This is my first time writing for The Walking Dead and this will be a story between my OC Rhiannon Greene and the sexy redneck Daryl Dixon. Enjoy my second attempt at fanfiction!**

* * *

The bustling streets of New York City were loud as usual despite the strange stories on the news about a deadly virus that would have any normal person cowering behind the safety of a locked door. Like they say, the city never sleeps.

Rhiannon Greene expertly dodged the crowds of tourists and the speeding cabs as she walked to her apartment building. Her large dance bag was hung over her shoulder, the ache long gone after carrying it year after year.

She was grateful to have her earphones in, Aretha Franklin crooning loudly in her ear, drowning out the sounds of traffic. She inwardly sighed in relief as her home came into view. Quickly unlocking the door and making her way upstairs to her small apartment, she practically melted with exhaustion as she closed the door behind her. She sluggishly walked to her living room and threw her body down on to the couch. Dance rehearsals had kicked her ass today.

She contemplated staying there all night. _Screw the shower._ The noise of her phone ringing caused her to groan loudly. She was surprised she could hear it with her music still blasting. Again, she contemplated not moving a muscle and letting it go to voicemail but thought better of it. Rhiannon sighed and sat up, taking her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, a wide smile spreading on her cheeks as she saw who was calling.

"Hey, gorgeous." She spoke, flopping back down on the couch.

" _Rhiannon,"_ Her younger sister's voice filtered through the line, the tense tone in her voice making her sit up straight.

"Maggie? Is everything ok?"

" _You gotta get back here, now. The town's goin' crazy, I don't know what's happenin'."_

Rhiannon was immediately on edge at the sound of her sister's teary and frantic voice. _Was she talking about those insane stories on the news? There's no way it's true._

"Maggie, breathe. What do you mean it's going crazy?"

" _People are_ eating _each other. Lacey had a bite on her arm and now she's really sick. The schools are shutting down, everything's shutting down, its just- its crazy. Rhi, you gotta get home, please."_

The eldest Greene daughter swallowed thickly. "Is everyone ok?" She asked quietly, her mind immediately going to her father and youngest sister Beth.

" _Yeah, Dad and Bethie are fine. Worried as hell about you. How quick can you get here? Daddy said the airports are closed, maybe you could take the train?"_

She shook her head. "That's like a twenty hour train. Maybe I could rent a car." She mused, practically talking to herself as she weighed her options.

She could hear Maggie sigh shakily on the other end. There was the sound of rushing footsteps. " _Is that her?"_ She heard an enthusiastic young voice.

" _Yeah, she said she's gon- Beth!"_ Maggie yelled accusingly at her younger sister as she stole the phone right from her hands.

" _Rhi! Are you ok? Please tell me you're on your way."_

Rhiannon almost had to hold the phone away from her ear at the volume of Beth's voice. She laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm just about to pack my stuff. I'll leave first thing in the morning."

" _No! You have to come now! Rhiannon please, it's too dangerous out there."_ Beth cried.

She sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde locks. She could just picture the tears running down her sweet innocent face. God, that girl could always get anything she wanted from her with those big, bambi eyes.

"Ok, ok. I'll leave now, but don't complain when you're dealing with my grumpy ass tomorrow."

" _I won't I promise. I love you."_

"I love you too, Bethie. I'll see you soon." She ended the call and sat still on her couch letting out a deep exhale. This was definitely not how she thought her night would go.

The silence was unsettling. She was hesitant about the long journey ahead of her, _am I really gonna drive all night?_ The absolute terror in her sister's voices brought her back to reality. Something was happening and whatever it was scared the hell out of them, the least she could do was sacrifice a night of sleep to ease their mind.

Rhiannon grabbed her dance bag and dumped it upside down on her bed. Tap shoes, pointe shoes, she didn't need those. She figured she'd be back by monday in time for her morning ballet practice. Rehearsal for the winter show was coming up and she knew this would be the only weekend she'd have free in a long time, it was a good thing she was going to see her family before she didn't have any time at all to visit.

She packed a few pairs of jeans and shorts and some shirts. She hesitated for a second and lifted her pillow, grabbing the hunter's knife she kept hidden there. Being a single girl barely over 5 feet tall living in New York City, she could never be too careful. The knife twirled in her hands, _would I really need this?_

She remembered what Maggie said, people were _eating_ each other, one of her friends got bit. Even if the bullshit deadly virus was just that, bullshit, she still wanted to protect herself from methed out freaks who took a bite out of their neighbours.

Finishing her packing, Rhiannon put her jacket back on and grabbed her ipod, there's no way she was driving 14 hours without it. She took the subway to the edge of town where the car rental building was, praising the man upstairs that for once in New York there wasn't a huge pile up.

She walked into the office to get the car, going through all the paperwork with ease. There was a nagging in the back of her mind though. Maggie's scared voice made a chill run down her spine. She hesitantly looked over her shoulder, making sure she was the only other person in the room. Her hand clutched the shoulder strap of her bag as she noticed what looked like a military jeep driving down the road. Another shiver ran down her spine, _The town's goin' crazy._ Military was never a comforting sign.

"Here you are, Ma'am."

She broke out of her frightening thoughts and smiled gratefully at the man, grabbing the keys on the counter. "Thank you." Her voice was only a whisper and without even bothering to put on a smile, she quickly scurried out of the building, turning the corner to the underground garage.

Of course the car that was picked for her was at the far end of the creepy, dark garage. She scowled at her unfortunate luck and began her trek across the garage. Her footsteps seemed to echo in the silence, it made her wince each time, seeming to be louder than it actually was.

"Woah, man. You ok?"

She turned her head, her eyes falling on a man packing up his car, his wife and daughter standing close by. Another man was stumbling towards them, low, hissing moans escaping his mouth.

Rhiannon furrowed her brow but kept walking, _well, I guess you that's New York for ya, place is filled with creeps._ This wasn't the first time she had seen some strange people in the city, it made her wonder why she'd bother to live there for so long.

A shrill scream was heard making her almost fall right on her ass. She turned abruptly, jogging back to where the family was and this time she actually did fall on her ass tripping on her own feet as she stumbled back at the horrific sight in front of her. The man who she originally assumed was drunk was taking a bite out of the man's neck. the blood gushed, choking him through his screams of agony, his wife and daughter screaming just as loudly.

Rhiannon ran towards them, mentally checking that her knife was still tucked away in her boot. The wife was tugging at the man's arm, desperately trying to get him off of her husband who was already long gone. The deranged man turned and swiftly grabbed at her arm and took a bite. Rhiannon felt fear stab at her chest, _what the fuck is happening?_

The young daughter screamed relentlessly as she watched both her parents cry out in pain, watched the blood pour from their wounds. She stumbled to her feet and started running away.

"Hey! Little girl, wait!" Rhiannon yelled. There was no way she was letting that girl go on her own, especially not after what she just saw.

The man, who she was starting to realize was not a man at all, turned his attention to her, her loud voice breaking him from his feeding frenzy.

"Oh fuck." She muttered as it rose to its feet and reached out for her. She pushed at his chest but flinched back each time he growled loudly at her and snapped his jaws too close to her face for her liking. She kicked at his legs knocking it off balance, praising herself for becoming a dancer and developing a strength in her body she wouldn't have otherwise had.

This thing was stronger than she thought, bringing her down to the ground in his grip as he fell. Rhiannon yelped, barely missing the jaws that lunged for her. She grit her teeth as she pushed the heavy weight away from her, her arms beginning to shake. She felt something poke at her ankle as she shifted her leg, her knife. She swiftly brought up her knee to its chest, knocking him back for a moment. It was enough time for her to grab the knife from her boot and she swung her arm out, catching the thing in the abdomen as he lunged for her again, only it didn't stop him.

Rhiannon stabbed again and again until her the sleeves of her jacket were covered with black gore. She groaned in frustration, exhaustion catching up to her as she held back the used to be man who was twice her size. She raised her arm and thrust her knife up through his chin, halting his movements. The creature fell to the pavement, Rhiannon falling with him, her grip still on the hilt of her knife.

She backed up, crab walking away from the dead creature sprawled out in front of her. Her bottom lip trembled furiously as shaking gasps left her mouth. Tears ran down her pale cheeks. Rhiannon stood slowly, her legs trembling. She slowly moved toward the creature, watching for a few minutes, making sure it wouldn't move again. She reached down cautiously to grasp her knife. She pulled it out roughly, blood splattering on her hands as she did.

A few deep breathes left her parted lips before she bent over, hands on her knees as she emptied her stomach. _What did I just do?_

She wiped at her mouth, wincing at the vile taste in her mouth. She wiped the knife on the creature's pant leg, getting rid of the mess on the shining blade and tucking it back in her boot.

Her eyes scanned the dimly lit garage. Where was that kid? "Hello?" She called out, wincing at the volume of her voice. She didn't want to deal more of those fuckers. "Little girl? I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise." She spoke, looking under the cars for the young girl who had ran away from her dying parents.

Rhiannon checked the whole perimeter of the garage, eventually making her way outside, calling out to the lost girl. She had made it down to the end of the street when something caught her eye. It was a stuffed animal, the same one the girl had been clutching as she ran. It lay abandoned on the pavement. Her eyes frantically searched the area, jogging up the road, praying she would find her.

Her footsteps slowed as she heard a noise that made her heart pound fiercely in her chest.Raspy growls were heard from around the corner halting her movements. She let out a shaky breath and slowly peered out from the wall she stood behind.

Her hand flew over her mouth, covering up the sob that she let out. One of those _monsters_ was hungrily feasting on the young girl. Her small body practically torn apart on the sidewalk.

Rhiannon could hear the blood pumping through her veins, could hear her heart pounding in her ears, every beat felt like a punch to her body. All she could do was stare at the gruesome scene in front of her.

She didn't know how much time had passed as she cowered behind the cement wall, the noises making her stomach turn. Low growls startled her out of her state of shock. More were coming. Wiping the tears from her cheeks she stood and hastily made her way back to the garage, making sure to avoid the murder scene she had witnessed. Grabbing her bag she had dropped om the way, she got to her car and unlocked the door. Her breath finally came back to her in a deep exhale once she was sat in the driver's seat, the doors locked tightly.

Her shaking hands started the car and she sped out of the garage, not daring to look in the rearview mirror at the scene she left behind. She had to get the hell out of the city. Once she was on the road, speeding across the bridge to the highway she let her sobs free, her chest aching with each powerful release of tears. Her hands clenched on the wheel. _Please let my family be ok. Please let me see them again._

* * *

 _*Three Weeks Later*_

Hershel Greene sat on the swinging chair on his front porch, his eyes casting over the land before him. The sun was just rising and just like every other morning for the past three weeks, he was praying. Praying that his eldest daughter would return. That he would see her beautiful face again, her brown eyes that reminded him so much of his late wife.

He had had a rocky relationship with Rhiannon. He disapproved of her choices, wanting her to take over his veterinary business rather than go to Juilliard to dance. He swore that girl was trying to give him a heart attack when she came home with a nose piercing and then of course the tattoos and she couldn't stop at just one.

His little girl was a spitfire that was for sure. She had been such a troublemaker, too much for him to handle after her mother had died. Rhiannon rebelled once he had gotten remarried, lashing out at him every chance she got. He regrets some of his choices, sending her away to boarding school was not one of his finest moments but he didn't know what else to do. At that point he was sure she would send him to an early death. Thankfully she matured and smartened up. He didn't know what it was that had changed her, she was always so private about her life, he was just glad that it happened.

She was still a troublemaker, that's just who she is, but she'd become a little less self destructive than she was in her teens. But there were still things between them that needed to be resolved. He wished for more time with her to repair their relationship, something he would never get.

"Daddy?" Hershel turned his attention to his middle daughter. "You should come inside and eat something. All this waiting, it's not good for you."

"My baby girl is out there."

Maggie froze at his words, her throat closing up at the mention of her sister. She was sure she would never see her big sister again. It should have been a days drive, but three weeks later and she hasn't shown up. Maggie could only assume that Rhiannon was dead. Her sister, her best friend, dead. She never even got to say goodbye, the last conversation they had was cut off by Beth taking the phone from her. God, Beth. The youngest Greene sister was an absolute mess. Rhiannon was her idol and she was practically inconsolable at the loss.

"Daddy please. I can't lose you too." Maggie whispered hoarsely, her eyes stinging as her tears threatened to fall.

Hershel looked to his daughter, his watery eyes locking with hers. He grabbed her hand and held it tightly, wishing for words of comfort but he had none. He lost his daughter, he was a broken man. Not even when Annette and Shawn had come down with the fever did he break like this. But this was his daughter, his first born, his baby girl.

He opened his mouth, willing his inevitable breakdown to subside long enough to comfort the daughter he had left but was cut off by the sound of an engine and the crunching of tires against the gravel driveway. Hershel shot up from his seat, flying down the steps with a speed that made him feel like a young man again.

An unfamiliar car pulled up but he saw the long golden hair, he knew it was her.

Maggie ran inside, the door slamming behind her. "Beth! Get down here!"

Rhiannon turned the car off, already sobbing as she saw her father approach, looking just as shell shocked as she felt. She opened the car door and was immediately enveloped in a bone crushing hug, her father's hand holding the back of her head affectionately, as he had always done when she was a little girl. She let out pitiful cries, she certainly didn't feel like a grown woman in this moment.

"Thank you. Thank you." Hershel repeated like a mantra. Holding onto his daughter as if he was afraid she would disappear if he were to let go.

Rhiannon heard rapid footsteps and she felt two more pairs of arms around her. She could hear crying and knew it wasn't just her. Her sisters clung to her almost painfully. Their rapid questions made her head spin. She couldn't even make out the words they were saying, they were talking so fast. The sobbing wasn't helping either.

"I'm ok." She breathed out, feeling winded with the onslaught of emotions. "Please tell me those generators are working cause I need a shower asap."

They let out an amused chuckle, still feeling as though this was a mirage, that the woman they had been waiting three weeks for wasn't really there. "I'm ok, I promise." She reassured them, seeing the looks of disbelief on their faces.

Hershel placed his hands on either side of her face, a wide smile stretching on his withered features. He felt as though he had aged ten years in the past month. "Baby girl, you are a miracle." He kissed his daughter's forehead and pulled her into his arms once again.

Rhiannon smiled, a breathless laugh escaping her chapped lips. Her excruciating journey had come to an end, she actually made it back to her family. She had lost all her hope over the past few weeks but here she was, with her family again.

The Greene family walked towards the house, arms laced around each other, holding tightly, not daring to let their precious woman out of their grasp. Rhiannon smiled warmly at Patricia and was wrapped up in a long hug, the older woman softly crying, muttering how happy she was that she was here.

Otis gave her a crushing hug, her feet dangling off the ground for a moment causing her to laugh loudly, she had always loved those enormous hugs when she was a kid.

"What happened to you out there?" Beth asked, seeming to finally notice her disheveled appearance. The blood and gore that covered her jacket and boots were unmistakable. Her hair was unwashed and tangled and she had a mark above her left eyebrow that wasn't there before. To put it politely, she looked like shit.

"I'll tell you later. All I want right now is a shower and my bed." Rhiannon responded tiredly, dragging her feet into the house. Her shoulders were tense as flashbacks of her journey assaulted her mind. She didn't want to give her little sister nightmares, there was no way in hell she was telling her, or anyone else what happened out on the road.

Her family followed closely, not letting her out of their sights. She doubted she would get any privacy for the rest of her life. But after what she experienced out there, she doubted her life had a long timeline.

"How about some food, honey? You get any smaller and you'll disappear into nothin'" Patricia placed her hands on her shoulders, guiding her to sit down at the table.

Her stomach immediately growled at the thought of a hot meal. The canned crap she had been suffering through didn't quite satisfy her. "That sounds amazing." She smiled brightly. She leaned her elbow on the table, willing herself to push past her exhaustion.

Her father and her sisters sat around her, their smiles seemingly permanently etched on their faces. Rhiannon laughed at them and shook her head. "It's good to be home." She spoke softly, grabbing her father's and sister's hands.

* * *

 _*1 Week Later*_

Rhiannon sat on the steps of the porch, blowing on the steaming cup of tea in her hands.

"You're staring again." She spoke plainly, not taking her eyes off of the tree lines. Maggie was seated next to her, her elbows resting on her knees cupping her chin in her hand and yes, her green eyes had yet to leave her sister.

"Are you ever gonna tell us what happened out there?"

"There's nothing to tell." Rhiannon shrugged, hoping her sister would drop the subject and move on. She didn't want to relive what she went through trying to get back. She didn't want her family to disown her after almost dying to get to them.

"Seriously? Rhi, how stupid do you think we are? Do you honestly believe that we don't hear your nightmares, that we didn't notice the scar on your face or the fact that you're out here for hours every night checking the fences? We're safe here, you don't have to worry." Maggie spoke reassuringly, placing a hand on her sister's arm.

Rhiannon jumped and stood up abruptly, almost knocking Maggie over. The pained look in her eyes made Maggie cower slightly. "We are _not_ safe here. We're not safe anywhere." She spat viciously.

Maggie was stunned to silence, her mouth hanging open at her sister's outburst. Rhiannon saw the frightened look on her face and her shoulders sagged. _Great, I'm definitely the biggest asshole on the planet._

"I'm sorry." She shook her head of the disturbing images in her brain and leaned against the porch railing. "I just really don't want to talk about it." She whispered.

Maggie had never seen her sister so shaken up. Her big sister had always been her rock. She had always admired so greatly the strength she had, standing up to her father and taking huge risks to get what she wanted in life. To her, her sister was an unbreakable superhero. Seeing her so tortured and on edge made her chest ache. Rhiannon had been so reserved the past week and had become even more closed off after hearing about her stepmother and stepbrother.

"Ok, I won't ask again...Just know I'm always here if you wanna talk. No matter what happened, I'm here for you."

Rhiannon smiled slightly. "I know." She wrapped her arms around her, sighing in content. Maggie's words echoed in her head, _no matter what happened._ She doubted Maggie would be saying that if she actually knew what had happened, what she was forced to do in order to survive.

She suddenly saw something from the corner of her eyes making her head snap to the side so hard she worried if she just gave herself whiplash. A figure emerged from the tree line running towards the house.

"What the hell is that?" She muttered. It was too fast to be a Walker and it looked like he was carrying something.

"Get Dad out here." She told Maggie who immediately ran inside.

Rhiannon slowly made her way down the steps, approaching the man in the sheriff's uniform as he stumbled towards her. She now saw what he was carrying, _who_ he was carrying. A small boy was cradled in his bloody arms. She gasped and felt her knees quake.

"Help me." The man whispered through tears sounding broken beyond repair.

 _Damn, this new world just keeps getting crazier by the day._

* * *

 **Let me know what you think and whether or not I should continue. If I do get some feedback I hope to have weekly updates, depending on how school goes. Uni is hard y'all. Throughout the chapters you'll get more backstory to Rhiannon and what she went through those three weeks on her own. Things will unravel. And Daryl will be here soon! Thanks for reading! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

Rick Grimes panted noisily as he ran towards the white house. His limp son cradled in his straining arms. He saw a figure approaching quickly. He sighed in relief, not even registering if she were a potential threat or not. Nothing else mattered to him but his bleeding son. He looked up in despair, his lungs aching with exertion.

"Help me." He panted, his throat burning with just the two words.

He had made it to the house, he had actually managed to run miles with his injured son in his arms, that had to be some kind of miracle. The small blonde girl in front of him could very well be a guardian angel. An angel in ripped jeans and a shining stud in her nose.

Rhiannon gaped at the scene in front of her. She looked over his shoulder, noticing Otis stumbling a few yards back with a rather muscular man hoisting him up every few steps. _Oh God, did he do this?_

She looked at the pale boy as the Sheriff walked forward, she saw flashes of the little girl she had been unable to save. She swallowed thickly at the familiar sight of a body covered in blood, at least this time it wasn't _her_ that looked like a Carrie cosplayer. She swayed on her feet, a ringing in her ears as she stared down at the boy who looked as good as dead. Her mind replayed the gut wrenching sounds of the monsters eating that poor girl, their moans and groans shook her to her core.

She was shaken out of her reverie as the man started yelling at her.

"Can you help me?! Please!"

She nodded and turned towards the house, her father and everyone else exiting to the porch to survey the scene.

"Was he bit?"

"Shot. By your man."

So she was right. Her stomach dropped at the thought. She put her arm on the man's back as he stumbled with the weight he was carrying. He shot her a grateful look before turning to her father.

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?"

Hershel immediately ushered him in the house, barking out orders. Rhiannon had never been interested in his profession, she didn't think it was important for her to know how to stick an IV and was kicking herself for that now.

She stared into the room helplessly, feeling like an intruder in her own house as she watched that poor man, Rick as she heard him say, look down at his son with tears in his eyes.

"Hey, why don't you come out here while they work." Her soft voice seemed to startle him. He looked at her and her heart broke even more for him at his lost expression. He nodded slowly, looking back down at his son that lay bleeding before him. She didn't even think he had heard what she said, he looked so dazed. She placed a hand on his arm and tilted her head motioning him out the door. She walked out of the room with him following reluctantly.

He walked like one of those dead things, ambling mindlessly until they were outside.

"What's his name?"

"C-carl. H-his name is Carl."

Rhiannon nodded, not knowing what to say to the grieving father. "Listen, My dad's gonna do everything he can, he won't stop until your boy is better. I can promise you that."

Rick nodded, feeling so thankful that he had found this family. If they had been at the quarry there would have been no hope for his son, but then again he may never have been shot in this first place. the back and forth in his mind was driving him insane. "Thank you." He responded weakly. He really didn't know what to say. This all felt like a sick nightmare.

Shane and Otis made their way to the house, Rhiannon immediately walking down the steps to wrap her arms around Otis who was shaking like a leaf.

"I-I didn't see him. I shot a buck- a-and he was just-"

"Otis, I know you didn't do it on purpose. Accidents happen. He's still alive and Dad's gonna fix him up. Everything'll be fine." She spoke slowly, making sure his eyes stayed on hers. It seemed like everyone was in some sort of trance, not fully comprehending what the hell was happening. "Why don't we all go inside?" The two men looked like they had been on the road awhile and with that poor kid injured, she felt as if it was the least she could do.

They nodded and followed her up the steps to the once peaceful house that was now a beacon of chaos it seemed.

"You two part of a group?" She asked as they sat down in the living room, close enough to the closed door where her dad was currently working on the kid.

The muscular man nodded, snapping out his daze. "There's a group of us staying on the highway. We're looking for a girl, one of our group's daughter, she went missing yesterday."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she leaned back in her seat. "I'm sorry." She said, wincing at her meagre words.

They both nodded in understanding, seeing her helpless expression. They felt the exact same way, never knowing what to say to Carol everytime they came up without Sophia.

"I uh, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Shane." He stuck out his hand for her. Rhiannon quirked up her eyebrow, it's the apocalypse, surely formal greetings had been nixed in this new world.

She laughed at his casual action that was now deemed strange and shook his hand. "Rhiannon."

Shane smiled widely at the beautiful girl sitting in front of him. After what had happened between him and Lori at the CDC, he figured he had to move on. Seeing her with Rick killed him, maybe if he had someone they wouldn't be such a thorn in his side, flaunting their love in front of him. And he couldn't deny it, this girl was hot as hell. He had always been attracted to curvier girls, ones with decent sized chests and damn did she deliver. The nose ring and the tattoo he saw on her inner bicep were added bonuses.

He couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips as dirty images filled his mind. This was a sure fire way to get over Lori.

The silence was broken by Maggie, ushering Rick in the room where his son lay. That sure snapped him out of his thoughts and he rushed inside to be beside Carl. Rhiannon followed slowly, staying in the doorway as she watched the young boy thrash and scream in pain. Her eyes glazed over at the scene, all she could think of was the little girl who she couldn't save. She wondered if this was what her screams sounded like as she died. The thought almost made her keel over.

"Hey, you look like you're about to pass out." Maggie spoke softly, her hand holding onto hers tightly. "You don't have to be in here." Maggie was worried for her sister. Of course this had been hard to watch but the look on Rhiannon's face had been tortured like she herself was experiencing the pain the boy was going through.

Rhiannon nodded wordlessly and took a staggering step back, almost running right into the door jam if Maggie hadn't kept her hold on her and directed her out into the living room to sit.

"I'm fine. Go help." She waved her sister off at seeing her worried expression. She had no doubt that Maggie would again ask her about what happened on the road. She just wasn't ready to talk.

Eventually Maggie and Otis came out of the room to sit with her then a few minutes later Rick and Shane came out, looking tired and dejected. Rhiannon couldn't help but smile at their brotherly love. The way Shane was consoling him made her ache for something she hadn't ever wanted before. She had always been closed off, never trusting another person enough to fully open herself up to. All except her family, but even then there were things about her life that even they didn't know, that no one knew.

Her father walked out of the room, a hopeless look in his eye that made her stomach drop. The pit in her stomach continued to grow until she felt sick as he explained the boy's condition and how his odds weren't looking good.

"What'll it take?" Rick asked, tears in his eyes.

"You need a respirator. What else?" Otis stood.

Rhiannon knew what he was getting at, he was going out there. Hershel listed the equipment he would need to save Carl's life, Rhiannon making a mental note of each one. There was no way she was letting Otis go out there by himself.

As they discussed the local high school, Rhiannon stood up, squaring her shoulders as if she was getting ready for battle.

"I said leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?" Shane said sarcastically.

"I hate you going alone." Rick said in anguish. His son was hurt, he didn't need his best friend hurt too.

"He won't be. I'm going too." Rhiannon's words caused everyone to swing their heads in her direction.

"No." Hershel immediately shut her down.

"But Dad I ca-"

"No! You're not going out there again! That's final."

Rhiannon, never one to back down from something she wanted, especially when it was her father telling her no, stood up straighter. "Dad, I know how to handle myself out there. I was alone for almost a month, I can do this." Hershel sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"I don't know anything about medicine, I certainly won't be able to help during surgery. This is how I can help him. Please." She pleaded with her father, her eyes glassy. The look on her face caused a pang through his heart. He looked down at his shoes and nodded slowly, hating every second of this conversation.

"I'm going too." Otis interjected, his eyes on the girl he had known since he started working on the farm years ago. The little girl who would always jump on his back and demand piggyback rides from him, the girl who would sing along with him while he cranked out old Elvis tunes on his guitar. There was no way he was letting her get harmed.

"Otis, no." Patricia immediately shot him down.

"Don't worry, Pat." Rhiannon said, grabbing her hand. "I'll watch his back."

"And I'll watch hers." Otis said, looking directly at Hershel who nodded gratefully in return.

"Are you two sure about this?" Shane asked, eyeing them both in suspicion. He couldn't even imagine that small women out in the world filled with walkers.

"Of course." Rhiannon spoke strongly with an air of confidence surrounding her that made her family smile despite the reality of her putting herself in danger. _This_ was the Rhiannon they knew, not the jumpy and moody women they had spent the last week with. "I'm gonna do everything I can to help your son." She said, now looking directly at Rick who looked somewhat astonished by the young woman in front of him.

He nodded and smiled lightly. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

She smiled shyly in response and looked to the two men she was about to walk into war with. "Alright, let's get our shit and go, we shouldn't waste anymore time."

"Language, young lady." Her father reprimanded her but she was already out the door, skipping down the steps to Otis' truck.

Rick and Shane shared similar looks of bewilderment and they both let out a laugh. Shane shook his head and walked to the door to follow her. Yeah, this girl was definitely someone he could get close to.

"You just get what you need and get outta there." Rick told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and turned his attention to the young woman about to risk her life for his son. "Thank you again for doing this, both of you." He said, looking up at Otis who had his arm wrapped tightly around his wife.

"It's the least I could do, especially after what I did." He looked down in guilt.

"It was an accident, simple as that." Rick assured him, hoping to quell his guilt. "Good luck out there." He nodded again at Rhiannon. "And here, you should take this." He pulled out his colt python, holding it out for her to take.

"Rick, I can't take your gun." She brushed him off, shaking her head.

"Take it, please. I'll feel better if you do."

She nodded, realizing he wouldn't let it go until she relented. She hesitantly took the gun from his hands, admiring it for a few seconds before stuffing it in the waistband of her jeans. She smiled up at him and turned to her father who was wringing his hands nervously.

She took a step forward, smiling shyly as she suddenly felt bad for putting her father through this. She felt as if she had caused enough stress in his life over the years. But what's one more, right?

Rhiannon threw her arms around her father's shoulders, holding him tightly. "I'll be ok." She whispered.

Hershel sighed deeply and hugged his daughter tightly. "Please come back, baby girl." He felt her nod against his chest, her height not allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

She pulled away and breathed deeply, forcing her emotions down. She looked to the porch where Maggie and Beth stood, their arms crossed over their chests. Rhiannon laughed at their identical poses of annoyance. She waved to them and their anger vanished. Their shoulders slumped and they waved back, Maggie placing an arm around Beth's shoulders as she began to cry softly in worry for her older sister.

Maggie gave her a pointed look as if to say 'i'll kick your ass if you don't come back'. Rhiannon smirked and nodded to Maggie before getting into the passenger side of the truck, Shane climbing in behind her.

"Man, this turned into one strange day." Shane mused as Otis started the truck and pulled out of the driveway.

Rick and Hershel watched the car disappear down the driveway, both filled with worry. Rick turned to the older man and couldn't help the quirk of his lips. "That's one hell of a daughter you got. You should be proud of her, there's not many people in this world who would do something like that."

Hershel laughed but it sounded weak. "I don't know whether to be proud or annoyed. That girl is sure to give me a heart attack one of these days."

"She mentioned she was alone for a month. She was out there?" Rick asked, not sure whether or not he should bring it up but his curiosity got the best of him.

"She lived in New York. She was by herself when everything started, trying to get here. It took her three weeks."

Rick looked to Hershel in shock. He definitely didn't expect to hear that. "Like I said, you have one hell of a daughter."

"Let's go check on your boy." Hershel said, guiding him inside, thankful for the conversation to be over. He didn't want to think about what his baby girl had endured all by herself in such a cruel world.

* * *

"Hey, stop here. I have to get something from my car." Rhiannon suddenly said as they were down the driveway, almost to the gates at the edge of the farm. Otis looked over at her in confusion but complied, stepping on the brakes as he pulled up next to the car she had drove up in last week.

Shane bristled and let out a noise of shock as Rhiannon climbed over his lap and opened the door, stepping outside. "What the hell is she doing?" He whispered as she opened the trunk of the car.

Rhiannon smiled wickedly at the weapon she had kept hidden. She pulled the strap over her head, so it was snug across her back, the handle sticking out for an easy grab over her shoulder. She walked back to the truck and climbed in, mindful not to rub against Shane, she didn't want to give him any ideas, even though she's pretty sure he already has them based on the looks he's been giving her.

"Is that a sword!?" Otis practically yelled as she settled back in her seat. She nodded happily, a wide grin stretching her face.

"Damn girl, where the hell did you get this?" Shane exclaimed, admiring the weapon slung on her back.

"I was hiding out in a museum, it got overrun and this was the first thing I could find." She shrugged, trying not to show how giddy having the sword made her feel.

"Why d'you keep it in your car?"

"You really think my dad would be ok with me waving a fucking sword around? He wouldn't even let me have a toy lightsaber as a kid."

Shane laughed at her, eyeing her in thought. _Maybe getting over Lori will be easier than I thought,_ he mused to himself, a smirk on his face.

Rhiannon stiffened at the look Shane was giving her and turned her attention to the passing scenery out the windshield. Guys like Shane didn't interest her. She's had more than a few run ins with his type. She hated the predatory way he looked at her, like she was his for the taking, like he fucking owned her. After her previous experience with a controlling, abusive boyfriend, she steered clear of the meathead types who thought they were god's gift to women.

There was no way in hell she would give in to Shane.

The drive was fast, too fast for her liking. She finally realized what the hell she had gotten herself into when the trio was crouched behind a car, hiding from the horde of dead ones lurking just a few feet away.

"You see that big mobile medical trailer?"

"That's where we gotta get to?" Shane asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." Otis mused, not liking their chances and he would be damned if he let anything happen to Hershel's little girl.

"We need a distraction." Rhiannon whispered, the wheels in her head turning.

"Nope." Otis stated sharply causing her to look at him with her furrowed brows. "I know that look, I've seen that look enough times to know it means trouble. You are _not_ putting your ass on the line to save us." He scolded her. It was unsettling how much he reminded her of her dad at this moment.

"Well what else can we do? We gotta get them away from the trailer."

"There should be flares in the trunk. We get it open, throw 'em across the yard. Otis and I will go in the trailer and get what we need." Shane interjected, his tone suggesting it was his way or no way.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "And what the hell am I supposed to do?" She spat, clearly not happy with the turn of events. "I didn't volunteer to come out here to just stand and look pretty."

"You watch our backs, if any get too close you pop 'em off."

She grit her teeth and gave the ex-cop a death stare. "Fine." She mumbled, sitting down in the grass as they began to very carefully open the trunk of the old cop car.

"You know how to use this?" Shane asked, a cocky lit in his voice as he held up her hand that held Rick's gun.

"Yes I know how to shoot." She hissed viciously. Goddamn this man was getting on her nerves. "Go, let's get this over with."

Rhiannon was practically twitching in anticipation as the two men lighted the flares and threw them across the yard. All the walkers were drawn to the light, giving them the perfect opening. "We'll meet you back here." Shane whispered in her ear, his breath fanning over her neck making her shiver, and not in the good way. She nodded and made sure he was out of sight until she cringed. He had a lot of balls, that's for sure.

She waited with bated breath for them to give her the signal to shoot the final flare once they were out of the trailer. Her fingers tapped against her thigh, a hurried and uneven rhythm that didn't even begin to convey the nerves she was feeling. She peered over the trunk of the car the same moment Shane and Otis stepped out of the trailer. She gasped as the horde of walkers immediately turned their attention to them.

The sky shone red with the flare she fired but only a few of the walkers were distracted, the majority of them still focused on the fresh food in front of them.

"Shit." Rhiannon whispered, seeing the looks of horror on both the men's faces. She got to her feet and aimed Rick's gun, taking out a few walkers that had began to stumble in her direction. She knew she wasn't going to make a dent with just one gun.

"Go!" She yelled to the two men who watched the scene with fear filled eyes. "I'll run to the truck and meet you by the back entrance!" She briefly saw Otis shake his head in disbelief but she brushed him off, grabbing the handle of the sword on her back and unsheathing the deadly weapon.

"Hey! Hey! Over here!" Rhiannon yelled, banging her fists against the cars she passed as she ran around the yard, gaining the attention of half the horde, the other half had already chased after Shane and Otis.

She grunted in effort with each violent strike of her sword, slicing and skewing the walkers that got too close as she backed up away from the high school. Once there was a sizable gap between her and the things trying to eat her, she turned swiftly and began to run. She ran until her lungs ached, until the horrendous sound of hissing moans were dull, a distant echo behind her. Rhiannon made sure not to trip as she made her way through the trees on the east side of the high school, making sure to take the long way back to the truck so she put more distance between her and the walkers that followed her.

The sigh of relief she let out at seeing the familiar blue truck was so powerful it made her burst into a fit of coughs. She quickly climbed in, thankful that Otis had been thinking ahead and kept the keys in. Although she doubted he expected _this_ to happen.

Rhiannon turned the car on, wincing at the sound of the loud engine. Her foot slammed on the accelerator and she was roaring out of the parking lot. She was fighting back a smile at the rush, at least now she could drive how she wanted without the risk of a ticket.

The truck screeched to a stop at the back entrance of the school just in time as Shane rounded the corner, limping towards her as fast as he could. Rhiannon smiled in relief when she saw him and pulled out Rick's gun, taking out a few walkers that had come up on her side, she hadn't even noticed who was missing.

"Come on, let's go!" Shane yelled, banging a fist on the dashboard, slamming the passenger side door behind him.

"W-where's Otis?"

Her voice shook at the realization that he was nowhere in sight and by the looks of the crowd of walkers that had just turned the same corner Shane had come from she doubted she wanted to know. Shane just stared at her, a crazed look in his eye that made her stiffen in her seat. Rhiannon looked down at her hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. "I'm sorry." His hoarse voice whispered.

All she could was nod shakily and she swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking rapidly to clear her blurry vision of tears as she drove back to the farm. " _Don't worry, Pat. I'll watch his back."_ Her words rang in her head like a high pitched scream. She wished she could cover her ears to drown it out.

She had failed yet another person, someone who was like family to her. She couldn't save the little girl and her parents, she couldn't save her stepmother and step brother, and she couldn't save Otis.

She was startled out of her thoughts as Shane placed his hand on her thigh, squeezing in what was supposed to be a gesture of comfort but it made her stomach turn. "He died a hero. The only reason I got outta there was cause'a him."

The lie should have felt like vinegar in his mouth but it didn't. He was surprised by how easily he was able to say those words. But he knew, it was Otis or it was him. At the end of the day, it was a simple decision.

"I guess nowadays a hero's death is all you can wish for." Rhiannon's voice was monotone and void of emotion. Shane was the last person she wanted to confide in and release her emotions to, no matter how close she was to crying at that moment. She would suffer in silence and hold it in until they got back.

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive. Rhiannon sucked in a shaky breath as she pulled up to the house, a few tears escaping her eyes. Shane was out of the car in an instant, hauling the two bags of equipment over his shoulders.

Hershel felt his heart jump as he only saw Shane approaching. He peered over the man's shoulder and visibly relaxed as he saw his oldest daughter sitting in the car, but he noticed her blank stare and the tears that ran down her face. It made his chest tighten.

"Otis?" He asked, turning to Shane once he noticed who was absent from the group.

The look on Shane's face said it all. Rick bowed his head at his whispered 'no' and ran a hand over his mouth. He was at least grateful that Rhiannon had made it back. That sweet girl didn't deserve that same fate after she had so bravely stepped up to help her son. And Otis, all he wanted to do was make things right after making a terrible accident. It killed Rick knowing he would never thank him for the risk he took to help his son.

Maggie faltered, her eyes filling with tears. She immediately strode up to the car, opened the door and pulled her sister out who was almost catatonic. Maggie wrapped her arms around her sister tightly, feeling her shaking against her. "Did you-" She breathed deeply, willing her voice to work despite the lump in her throat. "Did you see it?"

Rhiannon shook her head, keeping it tucked under Maggie's chin. "Good."

She stepped back and wiped at her eyes, eyeing Rick who was hugging Shane. Her body was exhausted and she felt her knees tremble as Shane described what had happened, how Otis gave his life to save his.

Rhiannon noticed an unfamiliar women, Rick's wife she was assuming, begin to walk towards her. She placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Rhiannon nodded at her, feeling a little uncomfortable with a total stranger giving her condolences. "Thank you." She whispered, her voice still not working properly. "Carl, is he ok?" She asked, suddenly coming alive as she showed the first shred of emotion since she got back.

Rick nodded and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Rhiannon almost wanted to turn to Shane and say ' _see, this is how you comfort someone. Not by feeling them up.'_

"He's ok. He has a chance now, thanks to you. All of you." Rick was choked up as he looked at the woman in front of him. Just by looking at her he could tell she had been through hell and not just tonight. He was curious about what she had been through before she had made it home. He was out there, he knew what it was like. The world was a cruel place, he couldn't imagine it had been any easier for her, a young girl all on her own. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done."

Again, Rhiannon felt uncomfortable. She didn't like accepting praise from a total stranger and right now it just felt _wrong._ Otis was gone, Carl was in surgery, it was still a waiting game, was there really anything to be thankful for right now?

Maggie let out a whimper and grabbed her hand, pulling her up the front steps and into the house. She didn't even notice the two new men sitting on the porch.

"Did that girl have a sword?" Glenn asked no one in particular, his eyes wide as he stared at the closed door the mysterious woman had just gone in. "Woah." He muttered in the same daze he had been in when he first saw the other Greene sister ride in like a cowboy in an old Western movie.

"Dude, this family is badass." He whispered to T-Dog who glared at him, still reeling in pain from the cut on his arm.

"Man, shut up."

* * *

Rhiannon couldn't stay in the house. As soon as she found out the surgery went well and Carl was going to be ok, she hightailed it outside. She couldn't face Patricia, she couldn't see the look on the woman's face when she realized her husband was gone and she had failed.

Thankfully no one had followed her. Her family saw the look on her face and knew she needed space. Hell, even the new people had stayed away.

Rhiannon sat in Otis' truck, smiling lightly as she held the old cd's he let her put in his car. He had taught her to drive in this old rusty pickup and told her you could never have a proper drive without blasting your music. Her dad absolutely hated her taste in music so Otis let her stash her cd's where her dad wouldn't find them

Tears began to blur her vision once again. Rhiannon pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes, taking in shaky breaths to try and calm herself down. She leaned back against the window, stretching her legs out across the seat. She frowned as her foot bumped against something on the floor.

She sat up and grabbed it. _Otis's gun._

It felt as if ice water had been dumped over her. If Otis had been laying down cover fire, why would Shane come back with his gun?

She thought back to the look in Shane's eyes, the one that had shook her to her core. Something wasn't right with him. She knew the rest of their group would be coming tomorrow morning and she dreaded what she would find. _Probably more deranged perverts like Shane,_ she thought to herself.

Oh, how wrong she would be.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for your feedback! This chapter came out early cause the reviews and the follows made me so happy and so eager to write, it really means a lot!**

 **Don't worry, Daryl will be in the next chapter, raising some hell as he does. And yes, Shane will be an absolute snake in this story.**

 **Thanks for reading! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

_The sounds of shuffling feet were all Rhiannon Greene could hear over the loud pounding in her ears. She placed a hand over her racing heart, wondering if it was going to be her last day on earth._

 _Her very little food supply had ran out the day before while she had been in the middle of nowhere. As soon as she had drove into the small town, she scouted out the large grocery store. Of course, being only one person - and a small one at that - she didn't have too much faith in herself to clear out the big building by herself. She thought it'd be better to get in and out as quick and quiet as possible. She was now regretting her stupid decision. "Fucking idiot." She muttered under her breath, watching as dozens of feet passed the shelf she was hiding behind._

 _A soft clink sounded behind her making her head spin around, her hand on her sword, ready to jump into action. Her eyes widened as she didn't see walkers that were about to attack but people. A woman and a man eyed her with as much shock she was sure she was showing towards them._

" _Go." She mouthed to them, sitting up in a crouch, gripping the handle of her sword. They both shook their heads, their eyes wide with fear._

" _How many?" She mouthed._

 _Her shoulders stiffened as they held up their fingers. Fifteen. She slowly nodded, her mind racing as she tried to devise a plan to get all three of them out of the store. She looked over to the couple who was eyeing her intently. They both looked petrified, the woman more so, she looked like she hadn't seen many fights. Even from where she was, Rhiannon could see her trembling. She doubted she'd be useful in a fight._

 _Rhiannon pointed to herself, holding up her sword slightly to indicate that she was going to fight. She then pointed to the couple and motioned to the door. The man shook his head and pointed to her and then himself, saying they would fight together. She smiled slightly and nodded to him, still a little hesitant of him but she didn't have any other choice at this point._

 _He counted down with his fingers, both of them springing into action on his count. Rhiannon stabbed a walker in the head, kicking her leg out to another that was coming up beside her and swinging her sword, beheading it as it fell to its knees in front of her. Bodies fell at her feet with each swing as she backed away from them. She slowly moved closer to the exit, slashing walkers as the lunged for her. She suddenly felt cold hands grip her shoulders from behind._

 _A loud yelp left her lips as she struggled out of the dead man's grip. She could hear his bone chilling growls, the snap of his jaw in her ear, only inches away from taking a bite out of her shoulder._

 _The grip on her suddenly slackened. Rhiannon twirled on her heels, her breathing heavy as she watched the young woman stab the walker in the head. The woman let out a shaky breath, looking shocked at her actions. She suddenly smiled proudly._

" _Thanks." Rhiannon breathed out, her body buzzing with adrenaline from the close call._

 _The woman opened her mouth to answer her when a walker came out from behind the shelves, taking a bite out of her neck. A loud, piercing scream left the woman's throat, catching the attention of the rest of the walkers in the store._

" _No! Annie!" The man screamed. He ran over to the pair, helping Rhiannon take out the rest of the walkers, his rage fueling his actions. Soon they were all taken care of and he was cradling the woman in his arms, tears streaming down his dirty cheeks._

" _Oh god, oh god. Annie, please no." He whimpered, crying louder as she closed her eyes for the last time, her body seizing its flailing and shaking. He sat there for a few minutes, just holding the woman in his arms, crying quietly._

 _Rhiannon let out gasping breaths, and put a hand over her mouth to quiet them. "What did you do?! She wasn't even supposed to be fighting! She saved your life and you can't even take out the walker right in front of you?!" The man yelled at her, standing up swiftly and in three large steps was standing right in front of her._

 _His grip on her shoulders was tight, she knew she'd have bruises. He pushed her up against the wall roughly, a small whimper of pain leaving her lips. "You killed her! It's your fucking fault! You did this, you stupid bitch!"_

" _I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't see it until it was too late." Rhiannon cried. Her words only seemed to make him angrier. He practically growled and grabbed her by the hair, throwing her to the floor. He was on her in an instant, his knife tight in his grip. If she hadn't blocked his hand in time, she would have been dead._

 _Instead of the knife hitting her in the eye like he'd planned, it only cut above her eyebrow, blood flowing instantly. She struggled with his weight, her hand shaking as she held his wrist to keep him from stabbing her._

 _Her knee flew up between his legs, a groan of pain expelling from him. Her fist knocked against his jaw making him drop the knife. He quickly got his composure and got his hands around her neck. Rhiannon gasped, her feet scraping against as she tried and failed to throw him off of her. She blinked rapidly, wishing she could wipe the blood from her cut that was seeping into her eye._

 _Choking breaths left her as he pressed harder onto her trachea. She gasped, her body writhing beneath him as she clawed at his hands that would cause her imminent death. Black dots began to spot her vision. She thought of her dad, her sisters. She had made it so far, she was halfway home. She didn't want it to end here, she had to see them again. Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. A lone walker began stumbling towards the pair, most likely drawn in by their loud fighting. Rhiannon only had seconds to make her decision. She chose not to warn him._

 _She squeezed her eyes shut as the grip on her neck loosened. The walker was latched onto her attacker. He hadn't seen it coming, he had been so focused on taking out the woman who had been reckless and cost him the life of his girlfriend._

 _Raspy coughs left her sore throat. Rhiannon watched in horror, too stunned to move as she watched the walker bite and pull him apart. He hadn't even fought back. He wanted to die, his reason for living was gone so he let the walker devour him._

" _Rhiannon! Rhi, wake up!"_

A startled gasp left her lips. Beth was standing above her, a worried look on her face and tears in her eyes. Rhiannon looked around her dark room, letting out a sigh of relief as she realized she had been dreaming and she was safe in her room.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She panted, dreading the thought that everyone in the house could hear her suffering through her nightmares. Although she felt it was her penance for her actions. After everything she had done the least she could do was suffer with embarrassment.

"No. I got up to go to the bathroom and heard you whimpering." Beth explained, now sitting on her bed beside her. Rhiannon nodded, her eyes darting around the room, looking for any signs of danger. Beth noticed the paranoid look on her face and frowned. "Would it help if I stayed?"

Rhiannon looked up at her baby sister, a genuine smile spreading across her face. She doubted it would help her nightmares and dark memories but there was no way she could ever say no to her. She lifted the blankets in response, moving to the side to make room for her.

Beth smiled widely and crawled in next to her sister. Once she was tucked under the blanket she laid on her side and put an arm around her waist. "I'm so happy you're here." She whispered.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly at her words. Beth had always looked up to her, no matter what she did. She never believed she deserved the way the young girl looked at her, like she was a damn God or some divine entity. Especially now, after everything she had done out on the road, the people who were dead because of her. She didn't tell anyone about what had happened because she could never stand to see Beth look at her with hate in her eyes. It would kill her.

Beth looked at her sister, trying to quell the intense sadness she felt at seeing her sister so scared and high strung. Rhiannon was always such a free spirit, never having a care in the world. She got tattoos and piercings despite knowing how much her father hated it. She did it for herself without caring about what people thought of her. That's the kind of person she was, that's why Beth idolized her so much.

She frowned as she noticed the scar above her eyebrow, once again wondering how that had happened. Beth couldn't help but fear the worst. She gently traced her finger over the faint mark. Rhiannon flinched. It was like Beth had been reading her mind and knew exactly what her dream had been about. God, if she saw the scars on her back from her asshole ex, she'd flip out. Probably run and tell dad, crying her eyes out all the way. There were certain parts of her life she kept to herself and with good reason.

Beth whispered an apology and laid her head down. The older sister stayed silent, her body stiff as a board.

Sleep didn't come easily for her, even though she did feel comforted with Beth's arms wrapped around her and her soft snores filling the silence of the dark room. She just couldn't get her mind to shut up.

All too soon, the sun began to rise, casting a pink tinge across the sky. Rhiannon woke slowly, sighing when she realized she wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep despite her exhaustion. She quietly climbed out of her bed, careful not to wake Beth.

She went to the the bathroom and took a long hot shower. The memories of her nightmare invading her thoughts. She subconsciously rubbed a hand over her scar that felt like it was burning.

Once she was dressed and ready for the day she made her way downstairs, noticing the new group members sitting at the kitchen table. Rhiannon inwardly cringed, meeting people during a zombie apocalypse proved to never be a good thing. After what had happened yesterday, after losing Otis, she had no excitement to meet the rest of Rick's group. She didn't want to meet more people she could potentially get killed.

"Hey, glad to see you up and around." Rick smiled warmly at her. His genuine kindness was enough to sway her opinion about the group and she hated that. _Damn him for being adorable._

"How's Carl doing?" She asked as she grabbed a mug from the cupboard, reaching eagerly for the pot of coffee.

"He's great. Still resting but your dad says he should be waking up today." His wife answered, an equally kind smile on her face. "I'm Lori and I don't even have the words to thank you for helping my son."

Rhiannon shrugged, looking down at her feet as she leaned against the counter. "Anything I can do to help." She mused quietly, a blush on her cheeks as all the attention was on her.

"I'm Glenn, this is T-Dog." She looked up to the young asian man who had spoken up. "We came last night but I don't think you saw-"

T-Dog swiftly nudged his arm into Glenn's ribs, cutting him off as he grunted. "Sorry." He muttered. Rhiannon actually found him quite endearing and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. They looked up at her, their eyebrows raised. They had expected her to scurry out of the room or yell at Glenn for his words, bringing up her painful night. They appreciated that she didn't hold it against them, that she could move on.

"Don't worry about it. I guess I wasn't the most gracious host last night." She said, relishing in the wide smile that came across Glenn's face. He sighed in relief, glad he hadn't offended her. She noticed the stitched cut on T-Dog's arm, the redness making her wince. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, I cut it on a car door." He explained weakly, his body still tired from fighting the infection and the blood loss.

"Did you take something for it, it looks like it was infected." She didn't know much about medicine but she knew an infection when she saw it. The redness was unmistakable.

"We brought some antibiotics, one of our group had them." Glenn interjected, motioning to the pill bottle on the table.

Rhiannon picked up the bottle, her brows furrowing as she read the name. Merle Dixon. _Where the hell do I know that name from?_ She racked her brain trying to figure out why that name had rung a bell in her head. She guessed she'd just have to wait until he showed up. She shrugged internally and set it back down.

Hershel entered the kitchen, immediately walking over to his daughter. "How're doing, baby girl?" He asked quietly, thankful that everyone was now in their own conversations. He was worried about her, after last night she had looked so distraught. Maggie had told him she hadn't seen Otis' death and he had never been so thankful. He couldn't imagine seeing someone die so horribly. He involuntarily tensed, thinking once again about those three weeks she spent on the road. He wondered what she had seen. But then again, he didn't think he wanted to know.

Rhiannon nodded and smiled weakly at him. "I'm good, I just need some time." She whispered. Hershel gave his daughter a much needed hug and pressed a kiss to her temple before he moved to grab some coffee, knowing she didn't want people to fawn over her.

"We're going to have a memorial for Otis. I'm sure it would mean a lot to Patricia if you would all attend." He mentioned, Rick nodding in agreement.

The atmosphere in the kitchen immediately changed. Rhiannon looked over to Shane who was sporting a newly shaved head. She thought of the gun she had found in the truck last night and what that had meant for Shane. Her mind raced with the possibilities but kept stopping at the worst thought. Shane killed Otis to get away. That's the only thing that made sense. _Way to be inconspicuous, asshole,_ she thought to herself.

Everyone stood, making their way out of the house and to the yard where they would have the memorial for Otis. Rhiannon stayed behind, gathering the dishes from the table.

"Are you coming?" A voice sounded from behind her making her jump in fright. She placed a hand over her pounding heart.

"Jesus, Pat. You scared me."

Patricia eyed her sadly. She slowly walked over and grabbed her hands, making her turn her attention from the dishes to her. She noticed her look down at her shoes, not making eye contact with her. "You're blamin' yourself. You're pullin' away from everyone and you can't do that. Not now, not after everything you've been through to make it back to us."

Rhiannon's mouth opened and closed, trying to think of something to say to the woman she had failed so spectacularly. "Honey, you need to stop. I don't blame you for what happened. I heard what happened, you weren't there. You went to get the car, you didn't see it. It wasn't your fault so don't you dare blame yourself. I need you sweetie, you can't disappear."

Rhiannon had tears streaming down her face, matching Patricias. She put a hand over her eyes, never being someone who was comfortable with crying in front of people. Patricia threw her arms around the small girl, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Rhiannon sobbed into her shoulder. They two women held onto each other tightly, both crying their hearts out from their grief. After a few minutes the pulled away, both wiping their eyes. "I'm sorry." She repeated causing Patricia to shake her head once again.

"You have nothing to apologize for, honey. I know it, your daddy knows it," she spoke softly, pushing a strand of hair from her wet cheeks. "And Otis knows it."

Rhiannon looked up at her with wide eyes, tears still brimming in her brown eyes. She didn't believe a word she said but she didn't want to argue anymore so she nodded slowly. Patricia seemed hesitant to let her go, knowing she still blamed herself but decided it would be worse to smother her with comfort, Rhiannon was never the person who actually found comfort in that. "Why don't you get cleaned up. We wanna make a good impression when the rest of the newbies get here."

Rhiannon gave her a small smile and took a deep breath, giving her one last look before turning and walking back upstairs.

She stepped into the bathroom and washed her face, getting rid of the tear streaks she cursed herself for letting fall. She stayed in the bathroom well after she was done, sitting on the floor and leaning against the bathtub. The last thing she wanted to do was meet new people. She had no idea what to expect. Rick, Lori, Glenn, and T-Dog all seemed nice enough. She remembers them mentioning a little girl they were looking for. She doubted a group of horrible people would even care about a lost girl, so that was probably a good sign.

It was Shane that made her second guess everyone. What kind of people were they to accept and trust a guy like him? He had killed Otis to save himself, hadn't he? Rhiannon wasn't sure what to believe and the way he looked at her like she was a piece of meat didn't help his case at all. If she could, she'd kick him out on his ass. She didn't want him anywhere near her or her family.

The deep rumble of a motorcycle snapped her out of her thoughts. She almost groaned out loud at what that had meant. The rest of the group was here. She slowly stood and dragged her feet out of the bathroom and down the stairs to meet everyone on the porch.

She felt Maggie nudge her side once she was standing next to her, a coy smile on her face. "You could at least dress up." She muttered, looking down at her dirty jeans and her old Clash t-shirt. Rhiannon shrugged, dismissing her comment. She couldn't care less what these people thought of her.

"How is he?" An older man asked. Rhiannon looked around at the group. The old man, a blonde woman who Rhiannon could already tell had a stick up her ass, a fragile looking woman who looked like she wouldn't even hurt a fly, and then there was _him._ Rhiannon couldn't describe the feeling she got when she looked at him. Surprise maybe, understanding? With the motorcycle and the leather vest, he wasn't who she expected to be part of this group, not after meeting Rick and that moon eyed kid named Glenn.

He was different than the rest of his group, the outcast. The way he surveyed them but didn't really join in the conversation was noticeable. It reminded her of herself. She had always felt like the outcast. She was the black sheep of her family and he was the black sheep of his group.

"He'll pull through, thanks to Hershel and his people."

"And Shane and Rhiannon. We'd lost Carl if not for them."

Rhiannon mentally cursed Rick as he looked back at her, a warm smile on his face. Suddenly all eyes of the group were on her. She looked up with wide eyes, like a student who had been caught cheating on a test. This time she couldn't fake a smile, she just looked down at her feet and tucked her hair behind her ear, a nervous tick she could never get rid of.

She looked up shyly, her nose scrunching up slightly as she saw them all smiling at her endearingly like she was a child nervous for her first day of school. She turned her head, not wanting to look at all the people watching her. She noticed the man with the crossbow strapped across his back and caught his eye.

She held his gaze for a moment before he quickly casted his eyes to the ground, biting the inside of his cheek. She smirked at his reaction, finding him cute, in a dirty redneck kind of way. He definitely wasn't the kind of guy she usually found attractive but there was something about him. His blue eyes were vibrant against his dirt laden cheeks. He didn't carry himself to be the most confident man but to her that was fascinating. She had spent too much time with men who were so sure they would sweep her off her feet and make her scream their name. And she had been hurt by those kinds of men too many times.

* * *

Rhiannon held on tightly to Beth's hand, only letting her go when she walked forward to place the rock on Otis' memorial. Once she was back, Rhiannon sighed deeply. It was her turn to say goodbye.

As her father read scripture she stepped forward, picking up a rock and laying it down softly. Her fingers trailed over the smooth surface. _Goodbye Otis. I wish I could have done more. I'm sorry._

She looked up, meeting the blue eyes of the crossbow man once again. This time he didn't look away. She could tell he felt sorry for her. For Otis' death or because he thought she was just another pathetic girl he'd end up having to save, she didn't know yet.

Beth's hand was in hers as soon as she was back beside her. She squeezed tightly making Rhiannon look at her, a grateful look on her face.

Rhiannon tried to keep her expression neutral as Shane spouted his bullshit story about Otis being the hero of the hour. _His gun is in the car!_ Rhiannon wanted to scream the words, outing their group member as the killer he was.

Once Shane was done with his speech, laying the final rock on Otis' grave, he looked back to her. A strange look in his eye that made her stiffen. Just like it had been in the car, his gaze was harsh and cold. She wondered if this was a warning, a threat not to say something because he knew she was suspicious. He'd be an idiot not to notice how uncomfortable she was around him, she hadn't even acknowledge him at breakfast that morning.

Shane would be damned if he let this woman ruin what he had worked so hard for. _He_ was the leader, not her, not Rick. If she didn't leave him any choice, he'd have to take care of her too.

* * *

Rhiannon stood next to her father as Maggie laid out the map on the hood of the car. She looked up at the large expanse of trees across the field, wondering where to even start looking for the lost girl.

She looked up as the guy with crossbow, Daryl she had learned, started talking, his gruff voice putting a smirk on her face. She quickly placed a hand over her mouth, making it look like she was in deep thought rather than giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush.

"I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there." Everyone nodded thoughtfully at Daryl's words.

Rhiannon turned her attention to Rick. "How far south have you looked? There's a ton of hunting cabins out here in this area," She pointed to the map, still feeling strange about having all attention on her. Dancing on a stage came naturally to her, she had no problems with it but public speaking was a whole other story. "There's a few close to the highway, It's a good bet she could be hiding out in one."

Rick nodded at her suggestion, sharing a pleased look with Shane who she was sure was faking his look of appraisal. "I don't like the thought of you goin' alone and I'm sure your father would agree."

Rhiannon looked to her father who watched her with a look of conflict. He knew she wanted to help out and that she was more than capable of looking after herself out there but she was still his daughter which meant he didn't have to like it. He knew if he restricted her, she'd pull away from him as she'd done in the past.

"I'd feel better having someone with you. You haven't lived here in a long time, haven't been through these parts even longer."

Rhiannon gave her father an exasperated look. "I'll be fine. I still know my way around. I could even do it in the dark with the amount of times I went-" She cut herself off, realizing the stories of her sneaking out to the forest to fool around with boyfriends were not ones she should be telling her father.

"What?" Hershel was genuinely confused as to why she had abruptly stopped talking. Thankfully he was a little naive when it came to his daughters, especially his eldest, and he didn't catch the mischievous undertones to what she had almost revealed.

"Nothing, It's not important." She dismissed him quickly. She heard Maggie let out a snort, more than aware of what a rebel her sister had been. Rhiannon looked up at her with a warning look. She may be smaller than her but she fought dirty and Maggie knew that. The icy cold glare shut her up.

"That sounds like a good start." Maggie said, not wanting a sore shin and gave her sister a way out of a potential disaster.

Rick held in his laugh at watching the two sisters silently communicate, their father totally oblivious. He looked up and noticed Andrea with a tortured expression on her face, obviously thinking of Amy. That sobered him up quick. "Daryl, why don't you and Rhiannon go together, we gotta be careful out there. Can't have people out there alone if something happens."

"Nah, just me." Daryl immediately shot him down, his gruff voice leaving no room for arguments.

"Daryl, I would feel better if-"

"Rick, we can't have our people out there with just knives. They need the gun training we've been promising them." Shane quickly interjected, interrupting the inevitable argument. He was sick and tired of Dixon and his Lone Ranger act.

Daryl inwardly scoffed at Hershel as he spoke out against the guns. _These people are good as dead,_ he thought. He hated being here. More people was the last thing he wanted to deal with. He got enough social interaction with the people in his group in the last month to last him a lifetime and now there's more. _Great._

He looked up and his eyes dashed to the little blonde haired girl again. He was confused when he noticed the look of distaste on her face and the side look she gave her father as everyone placed their guns down on the hood of the car. She didn't agree with her father. She knew carrying guns could be the only thing between life or death in this life. Daryl started to realize she may be smarter than he gave her credit for.

Shanes words broke him out of his thoughts. "I hate to be the one to ask, but someone's got to. What happens if we find her and she's bit."

The look Rhiannon sent Shane didn't go unnoticed by Daryl. She looked at him with annoyed disgust and a little bit of fear. That certainly peaked in interest. He'd heard what Rick said, Carl would've had no chance without her and Shane. They went together and came back without Otis, someone she obviously cared about.

Daryl didn't know what to think about Shane's story. It seemed legit but the ex-cop was unstable, that much he could see. He wondered what happened out there, why that girl looked at him like the way she had.

His shoulders immediately tensed at his own thoughts. It was weird for him to feel like that, to wonder about people, the want to know more about them. He didn't think he liked it.

* * *

Rhiannon tied the laces of her boots and stood, stepping off the porch to go start the search.

"Hey," She turned and looked to Rick who had called out to her. "You sure you're ok with goin' out there? I don't want you to get hurt helping us...again."

Rhiannon smirked at him and gestured to the sword on her back. "I'll be fine." Rick laughed and nodded, eyeing the deadly weapon on her back. He couldn't believe the amount of surprises this woman came with.

Rhiannon saw her dad step out of the house, she hoped it wasn't to stop her before she'd left. "You be careful out there. Be back before it gets dark."

She felt like she was 15 years old again with the tone he was using. She hugged her father one last time and started walking towards forest. "And Rhiannon," She turned to face her father as he started talking. "Don't think I haven't noticed the _sword._ We'll be having a chat about that when you get back." He practically scolded her. She sighed dramatically, her head tipping back to face the sky. She could hear him laughing at her antics. She playfully saluted him and continued her trek across the field.

She had been walking for a couple of minutes and was just about to disappear through the thicket of trees when a rough voice called out to her making her jump in surprise.

"The hell you think you're doin' out 'ere?" She saw Daryl striding towards her with a scowl on his face, one hand on the strap of the crossbow.

"I'm looking for a lost child, same as you."

"Yeah, well I don't need any help so why don't you just go back home and do your nails or somethin'. You won' be any help out here."

Rhiannon barked out a laugh making the man in front of her stare at her with a look of confused anger. "Oh, so you're on of _those._ " She laughed, and started walking, dodging low hanging branches, not bothering to hold them up for the man behind her.

"One of what? You don't know anythin' about me." Daryl was livid. Who the hell was this girl, thinking she knew who he was.

"You know, one of those chauvinistic shitheads that think they're the only ones capable of doing the heavy lifting and then complain that they're the only ones who do the heavy lifting and then come home and make their woman wipe the mud off their boots. It's sad really."

Daryl glared at her harder, he didn't even think it was possible to glare harder but he was quickly realizing this girl could push him past his limits. "It ain't like that." He growled, stomping past her. "I'm not here to babysit your ass so go home 'fore you get yourself killed."

"Well, I have a sword so I'm pretty confident I'm not gonna die today. 'Sides, you don't know where the cabins are."

"I'll find 'em."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes so hard she worried they'd stay in the back of her head. She quickly caught up to him and stood in front of him, making him look down at her. The height difference between them was almost comical. "Look, I'm not out here to argue with you, I'm out here to find a little girl. And so are you or you wouldn't be out here yelling at me. Unless you just really love to argue. I honestly don't care why you're so adamant about going alone but I'm here and I'm ready to help so the sooner you get over your issues and _let_ _me_ help, the sooner we find that girl."

Daryl stared down at her. He didn't know if he hated her or if he was actually beginning to like her. She was different than the other woman in his group, she actually gave a shit. She knew in order to get shit done you'd have to get your hands dirty. She was annoying as hell to him but he respected what she was doing. She didn't know them, she didn't owe them anything but she was out here risking her life, for the second time now.

He just didn't want to be responsible for her. She had a whole family waiting for her to come back. He didn't want her death on his conscience. And he especially didn't want to spend the day with her and make small talk. He'd rather put an arrow in his brain.

"No. Go back." He growled and stepped around her, walking briskly.

"Alright, I guess I'll head west then, we'll cover more ground that way." She replied, knowing she sounded like a smartass brat. She didn't care. She figured being a bitch was the only way to get this guy's attention.

Daryl paused, watching her veer off to the side, further away from him. If he came back without her, they would all be pissed. Rick seemed to really trust this girl. She helped save Carl, she gained his respect and he was sure he'd get a talking too if this girl got lost or hurt because of him.

Daryl cursed under his breath and started walking in her direction. "You don't even know what Sophia looks like!" He yelled, grasping at straws to find a reason for her to go back and stop annoying him.

Rhiannon turned around, facing him as she walked backwards. "Ok, well any little girl I come across I'll make sure to run it by you first, deal?" Her sarcastic tone made him clench his fists and grit his teeth.

"You coming or what?" She yelled back to him, turning to continue walking to where she knew one of the cabins was.

After a couple of seconds she heard heavy, stomping footsteps begin to follow her. She couldn't help the wide, victorious smile from spreading on her tanned cheeks. She was having way too much fun annoying Daryl, she couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. You will find out how she knows Merle in the next chapter and there will also be Daryl and Rhiannon bonding! And holy shit, that finale last night! Insane! Hopefully this story will help fill the Walking Dead void until season 8 xx**


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl Dixon had never been described as a people person. He had never been comfortable talking to people. Hell, even being in their company was enough to make him feel uneasy. Thankfully, the woman who had been busting his balls all afternoon had been silent during their trek to the abandoned cabins in search for Sophia. He had noticed, however, that she'd been casting glances at him every couple of seconds.

He involuntarily tensed each time, feeling scrutinized under her gaze. Women like her never paid attention to him before. She was absolutely beautiful, he couldn't deny that. Even thinking that made his spine stiffen. He had never in his entire life called someone beautiful, he didn't compliment girls, period.

"What?" He finally turned to her, catching her off guard. Her eyes were wide, looking like a deer in headlights."Why d'ya keep looking at me? It's fuckin' weird." He muttered the last part, his voice sharper than he intended.

Rhiannon let out a quiet laugh, looking down at her feet as she walked. Her hair fell in front of her face, embarrassed that she had been caught. "Sorry, I didn't mean to look like a creep. It's just...I, uh...I knew your brother. Well, not really _knew_ him, I met him one night but he certainly made a lasting impression."

Daryl's head whipped towards her, his feet stopping themselves in their spot. Rhiannon staggered, looking back at him. She was floored by the emotion she saw on his face. She immediately felt terrible. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. He's not here so I can only assume that-"

"How'd you know him?"

Rhiannon smiled again, glad he wasn't going to flip out on her. The twosome started walking again as she began her story. "A friend from school lived down in Macon, she went home for the weekend and brought me. We went out to a bar and these guys immediately started hitting on us and no matter how many times we said no, they just didn't quit."

Daryl snorted. "Sounds like Merle." He mused, occasionally sneaking glances at her as they walked. He was hanging onto her every word.

"Yeah, he was very persistent and very drunk so he got handsy pretty fast and I.." She trailed off, biting her lip to fight off her grin. "I got a little violent with him. My polite way of telling him to fuck off."

Daryl was silent for a moment, regarding her with squinted eyes. She worried he was mad before he finally let out a loud laugh. "That was you?!"

Rhiannon let out a shocked laugh. "He told you?"

"He called me from the hospital, I had to pick him up. Said some crazy bitch attacked him." He let out another huff of laughter. "You sure did a number on'im. Had a broken nose and a cracked rib, wouldn't stop moanin' for weeks."

"He was high as a kite so it really wasn't that hard to knock him around." She replied timidly. She could have never guessed _that_ part of her life would become a bonding moment between her and a fellow apocalypse survivor.

"I always wanted to meet the girl that roughed him up, buy her a damn beer."

Was he flirting? Daryl almost stopped in his tracks again at the thought but thankfully kept going, giving no indication to the woman beside him how uncomfortable he was. He scratched the back of his head, looking around at the vast area of trees surrounding them. He had never flirted a day in his life. That couldn't be what he was doing, right?

"He's still alive." He spoke up again after a moment of silence. She looked over at him, looking shocked that he was actually initiating conversation. Based on their first five minutes together, she doubted he'd have any interest in talking to her or getting to know her. He was just full of surprises.

"You looked guilty or somethin' for mentioning him. You shouldn't be."

"So where is he? If he isn't dead, why wouldn't he be with you?" At watching Daryl's face fall once again, she sighed deeply, mentally kicking herself. "I'm sorry, I apparently have a talent for saying shitty things at the wrong time." She backtracked, wiping a hand across her forehead. Her body suddenly felt hotter than it had before, _I guess embarrassing yourself with every sentence you say will do that._

Daryl eyed her intently, a smirk on his face at her reaction. It felt good making her squirm. Better her than him, he thought. She noticed the smirk on his face and frowned even deeper. "What?"

"Don't think I ever heard someone apologize so much in one conversation."

Rhiannon was once again taken aback by him. She scoffed and then burst out laughing. "You should feel honored, I don't apologize to just anybody." She smiled brightly at him and they continued walking. "So what happened to him? Merle, you said he was still alive."

"It's a long story." He sighed deeply, his mind screaming at him to shut up and walk away from her. But he paid it no attention. "He got himself cuffed to a roof, cut his hand off to get away." Daryl spoke stiffly, his hands tightening on his crossbow. He had been livid when he found out his brother had been left behind but the more he thought about it, he honestly couldn't blame them. His brother was a pain in the ass.

"Jesus." She muttered, a look of disbelief on her face before furrowing her brows in thought. "Well, I only knew Merle for a couple of hours but that actually sounds like something he would do." She stated matter of factly.

Daryl turned his head, his eyes catching hers. She had a grin on her face, her eyes lighting up with playfulness. Daryl had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

 _What the fuck am I doing,_ he snapped at himself. It felt wrong to actually smile and enjoy his time. His brother was out there doing God knows what, he could be dead for all he knows. Daryl didn't feel like he deserved to smile and goof around. He had to stop this in its tracks, before he got too chummy with this girl. He coughed and straightened his shoulders. "You get us lost or somethin'? I don't see any of those damn cabins you mentioned. Knew I shoulda went by myself."

Rhiannon's smile faltered. She eyed him with confusion. They had just been laughing and joking around with each other. She couldn't understand how someone could just flip with the blink of an eye. "It's just past the creek." She mumbled, hurrying to catch up with his determined strides. Damn, his legs were a lot longer than hers.

She sighed deeply. She noticed how his whole demeanor had changed, his shoulders were stiff, he was acting like she was a possible threat with the way he was so guarded around her.

"Look, I'm sorry if I said something that offended you. I shouldn't have mentioned Merle at all."

Daryl ignored her, keeping his eyes on the forest in ahead of him. He knew he was being a dick but he didn't care. He had no idea what the hell he'd been thinking. He couldn't ever let anyone get close.

"You best keep your trap shut, you're gonna attract a whole herd if you keep yappin' like that." He snapped at her. It was the only thing he could think of to get her to stop talking to him like they were friends. There was no way he would ever let that happen.

"Hey!" She jogged to get ahead of him, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. He immediately flinched away, glaring at her so hard she felt like her blood had just been turned to ice. "I don't know what the hell just happened but you better fucking stop being an asshole cause I came out here to look for a little girl not to be yelled at by some backwoods prick. So stop fucking complaining like a prissy bitch and help me find her."

Daryl was fuming.

"Prissy bitch, huh? You seen yourself?"

"Excuse me?" Daryl started walking away but she moved faster, pushing against his chest again. "Who the fuck do you think you are? You don't know a single thing about me."

"Really?" He challenged, his scowl deepening. His blue eyes were like knives. "You got the band shirt, the piercing, tattoos. You rebel against your daddy cause you didn't get enough attention as a kid but you sure as hell still got everything handed to you on a fucking plate."

"Fuck you. You don't know anything." She spat, glaring back at him just as harshly.

"You out here tryin' to prove yourself, and for what? You'll prolly get me killed like that guy Otis. I sure as shit don't need fucking tinkerbell out here to help me." Daryl knew he had gone too far, the way her face crumpled in devastation was evidence enough. He took a step back, realizing he was standing so close to her he could see the faint smattering of freckles over her nose. She had a fire in her eyes that made him wonder if she was about to unsheathe her sword and lob his head off.

Her eyes that were glued on him suddenly shifted, her crease in her brows straightening as she focused her gaze over his shoulder. The hissing groans were unmistakable. Before Daryl could even raise his crossbow and turn around, the small woman in front of him ducked under his outstretched arm that attempted to keep her behind him.

She swung her sword viciously, beheading both walkers at the same time. She took a step back, turning her weapon down towards the detached heads of the walkers whose jaws were still snapping. She stabbed each of them, ending them for good. She blew out a burst of air, blowing away the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face.

Daryl stood frozen in place. If he were a more sociable and less damaged man he would've swallowed his pride and immediately apologized for what he said, tell her how impressive that was. But, being Daryl, he just kept quiet and looked down at his feet, only after keeping his gaze on her for a few more seconds. He seemed to be doing that a lot today.

"Come on, the cabin's not far." Her voice was cold, she was pissed at him, that much he could tell. She wiped her sword against the pant leg of one of the walkers. She decided to keep her weapon in her hand instead of strapping it against her back. It was safer in case more walkers surprised them and she liked the way Daryl had been eying it wearily. _Asshole better watch himself,_ she thought with a wicked smirk.

She'd never actually hurt him, but it was satisfying enough to make him think she would.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Daryl sparing glances at her every once in awhile. It was easy to be inconspicuous, the top of her head was level with his chest so she never noticed the way his eyes would cast down at her. The twosome emerged from the forest into a clearing. An old, broken down cabin stood before them.

"This one's the closest to the highway. If she got this far west she would've come across it."

He nodded at her as he loaded his crossbow, both of them cautiously walking towards the cabin. Anything could be in there. It could be crawling with walkers for all they knew. Once they stepped up onto the porch, Rhiannon immediately reached for the knob. Daryl batted her hand away and gave her a stern look.

He pointed to himself making her roll her eyes. She waved her hand in a 'go ahead' motion and stepped back, a patronizing look on her face. He ignored her sass, something he figured he'd have to learn sooner or later depending on how long he'd be staying at her farm.

Daryl and Rhiannon slowly crept into the cabin, the floorboards creaking under their feet. Daryl turned to the left, scoping out the room. He heard footsteps move past him making him shift his attention.

"Hey!" He whispered through gritted teeth at Rhiannon who had moved ahead of him to check the rooms at the back. "Get back here."

She turned and glared at him. Rolling her eyes once again, she kept moving forward. Daryl watched her disappear from his sight, his hands clenching on his crossbow. _This fucking girl is gonna drive me to insanity._

He checked the rooms around him, listening for any noise that could mean a potential threat. "Daryl." He perked up, rushing out of the room to the hallway, thinking that she was in danger. Once he saw her head poking from around the corner, no trace of fear on her face, his shoulders relaxed. Daryl felt breathless for a moment and he didn't know why. _She_ had called out to him. He couldn't explain the shivers that went down his spine at hearing her voice say his name. He huffed to himself quietly and made his way towards her.

She nodded her head towards the cupboard, a pillow and blanket tucked underneath the shelves. "Think it could've been her?" She whispered. Daryl just grunted in response and eyed it for a few more seconds before he turned his back on her, stepping out the back door.

Rhiannon stayed in the abandoned kitchen for another moment, reeling from his apparent mood swings. Daryl Dixon was so fucking complicated, it was driving her nuts. They had been fine, both of them talking like normal people do. Then with a flick of a switch he had been yelling at her and insulting her. _That fucker called me Tinkerbell,_ she thought with disdain.

He had no idea just how much that irritated her. All her life she had been expected to be the southern belle, debutante like the rest of the girls she went to school with. Of course, the church ladies that run the debutante balls didn't condone her getting a piercing in her nose. After she had been labelled as a deviant she decided to embrace it. She worked so hard to be more than what the small town wanted her to be. _And this asshole manages to ruin it for me in one sentence._

The cabin creaked in the wind making her shiver. She felt like she was in a horror movie, hell, this whole world was a damn horror movie now. She decided to join Daryl outside who was calling out to Sophia.

She noticed him crouched down by the mangled mess of weeds that used to be a garden. She walked closer, noticing two flowers blooming. "That a cherokee rose?"

Daryl nodded, his body tensing slightly as she sat next to him, the wind causing her long hair to brush against his arms. He swallowed thickly. "You know the story?"

"Otis told me. He used to pick them from the neighbours gardens for me when I was a kid. Got yelled at so many times but he never stopped doing it." She smiled softly, her heart aching at the memory. Her whole childhood was filled with feelings of being the outcast, feeling like she didn't belong in her own family, but Otis had always tried so hard to make her smile. He knew what she struggled with.

Daryl looked down at his hands, refusing to make eye contact. "'M sorry for what I said. I heard Shane's story, wasn't your fault what happened." He spoke quietly, a blush rising on his cheeks just from saying the words out loud.

He heard her let out a shaking breath. Her face was creased with a tortured expression. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something but closed it abruptly, shaking her head. "What?"

She shook her head again, her fingers twirling in the long weeds in front of them. Daryl sat back, a more comfortable position than crouching, and turned his body to face her. Suddenly, Daryl had an inkling to what she could be trying to say. "It about Shane?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, her lips parting in surprise. "I saw the way you looked at him this mornin'. He do somethin' to you?" His hands clenched into fists, his voice bitter as he thought of that douchebag cop hurting an innocent woman, especially the one in front of him.

"No, not _me_." She mumbled, her arms wrapped around her waist, hugging herself tightly. Daryl looked at her intently, making her shiver slightly under the piercing blue eyes. She debated in her head for a few seconds before finally letting out a deep breath. "I think Shane killed Otis to save himself."

She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to jump away from her and start yelling at her for accusing a member of his group. She opened her eyes slowly and turned her head to face him after a few seconds of silence had passed.

Daryl had no emotion on his face, confusing her even further. She took his silence as an invitation to continue. No doubt he wanted more of an answer than that. "He said Otis was laying down cover fire but when we got back I found his rifle in the car."

"He know you found it?"

Rhiannon shrugged, picking at a thread on her jeans. "I think he's suspicious. I dunno…" She trailed off, keeping her eyes cast down. "I don't like the way he looks at me." She mumbled, surprising herself for admitting it, especially to a man she had met just that morning.

She gained enough courage to look up at Daryl. She was breathless at the fierce anger she saw in his blue eyes. He let out a deep breath and shook his head. "He ain't gonna touch ya." He growled.

Daryl didn't even have time to feel embarrassed about his words, his anger took over every rational thought. "Sides, 'm sure you'd kick his ass 'fore he got the chance." He shrugged, trying to sound more casual and less intense. He mentally kicked himself for his outburst.

Rhiannon laughed making his head jolt up to look at her. His immediate reaction was to lash out, push her away so the uncomfortable feeling of bonding with another person would stop. Only the problem was he wasn't uncomfortable. He found he actually _liked_ talking to her. And dammit, this girl had been through enough, she didn't need him ragging on her and making it worse.

The pair sat in silence again, neither one of them making any more to get up and keep walking. They had found a good lead, they deserved a rest before they moved on.

"You were right you know, about what you said before." She broke the silence turning her head to find his gaze already locked on her. "Well, not everything you said, but it was close enough."

"What d'ya mean." Daryl asked gruffly, genuinely curious. He had said a lot of horrible shit to her, how could any of that possibly be true?

"About _me._ The way I am. It's not cause I didn't get enough attention as a kid, it's cause I didn't _want_ the attention. I knew from an early start that I was the black sheep of the family and I guess I figured I'd roll with it." She laughed bitterly, shaking her head.

Daryl smirked lightly, not willing to tell her that's how he'd felt his entire life. He was already pushing his boundaries by just sitting here and listening to her talk, he wasn't gonna push himself any further. "Why 'dya feel like you didn't belong?" Wincing internally as he asked. It was personal but he was curious. He doubted she'd experienced what he went through as a kid. Hershel certainly didn't seem like the abusive type. All three of his daughters clearly loved him deeply.

Rhiannon bit her lip, once again contemplating whether or not she should open her big mouth. "Did you notice that I don't really have the same accent as the rest of my family?"

Now that he thought about it he did suddenly realize that she didn't have the same southern twang that the rest of her family had. He nodded slowly, keeping quiet in fear that he would say something and scare her off. He wanted to know more about her, he didn't want her to stop talking.

"I got sent to boarding school upstate when I was ten." Daryl looked at her in shock, that was the last thing he expected to hear. She nodded, pursing her lips at his expression. _Now this is the part where you scoff and look at me with disgust and never talk to me again._

"Damn, what d'ya do?" He asked, the right corner of his mouth twitching upwards. She let out a breathless laugh in return, thankful he wasn't treating her like some degenerate like others had once they found out.

"I didn't really do anything major. I got caught shoplifting a few times. I got off with a warning every time but that did nothing to stop me so one night an officer drove me home. I think my dad seeing me sitting in the back of a cop car made him realize he was in over his head, couldn't do anything to help me just on his own."

Rhiannon cringed at herself. _Why the hell am I saying all this, he doesn't give a shit._ "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you all this, you don't care about my problems."

She squinted at him in confusion as he just smirked at her in response. "There you go apologizin' again."

Rhiannon laughed lightly. "Sorry." She scoffed at herself and put a hand over her eyes, realizing what she'd just said. She wanted nothing more than the earth to swallow her whole so she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of him anymore.

Daryl grinned at her, his teeth showing and everything. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled like that, especially when he'd been completely sober. He couldn't ignore the small fact that she was adorable. Her light giggles and the blush on cheeks would've made any man fall at her feet. Thankfully for his own sake, Daryl was a little more hardened than the usual man. _Was that good for my own sake?_

"We should head back." He said, diverting the dangerous territory he was in with her back to the hell filled world they were living.

She nodded and got to her feet, brushing the dirt from her pants. Daryl stood beside her, hesitating for a moment. He pulled out his buck knife and cut the two cherokee roses from their stems. He froze for a second, his brain screaming at him not to do what he was about to do but Daryl Dixon had never been the best listener.

He held out the flowers toward her. He reminded himself of Tarzan giving a gift to Jane. He had no idea what the hell he was doing. Rhiannon looked up at him, absolutely bewildered at his action.

She couldn't stop the deep blush that raced across her cheeks. She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling like a loon. "No one's ever given me a flower before." She mused, almost to herself it was so quiet.

Daryl quirked an eyebrow at her statement. Surely she was lying. Had she lived in his small, hick hometown, all the guys would've been tripping over themselves to get a chance to sweep her off her feet.

She saw the look of disbelief on his face and laughed. "Well, except for my family after a dance recital."

She stared down at the flowers held out for her. Thinking about the story of what the cherokee rose meant sobered her. Her smile faded. "You should give it to Carol. She deserves it a hell of a lot more than I do."

Daryl couldn't help but feel rejected but he knew she was right. Carol was hurting, this rose symbolized something so deep and meaningful, she deserved a pick-me-up. _That doesn't mean you don't deserve one,_ he wanted to tell her but kept his mouth shut.

He nodded and they started walking back to the farm. The pair walking closer than they had been before.

"So, dance recitals?"

"Shut it, Dixon."

* * *

The two of them had made it back to the farm quicker than expected. _Guess not stopping to yell at each other has perks,_ Rhiannon thought to herself.

She went to talk to Lori, asking about Carl. She was so happy the kid would be ok. After what happened in New York, the little girl she had failed to save, she had begun to lose hope in herself, thinking it'd be better to just stay away.

"He woke up earlier." Lori told her, a grin stretching across her face. "I can't thank you enough for your help."

Rhiannon shook her head, grabbing Lori's hand that trembled slightly as her eyes filled with tears. "You don't have to keep thanking me. You guys are a good group and I know if the situation were reversed, you'd all do the same." Maybe not everyone but she wasn't going to mention that.

Lori nodded and smiled gratefully at her before pulling her into an unexpected hug. Rhiannon stiffened and laughed awkwardly. Thankfully it hadn't lasted long.

Rhiannon was just about to head back into the house when she noticed Daryl exiting the RV, his eyes immediately falling on her. He must have given Carol the flower. She smiled at him to which he just nodded.

She turned on her heel, almost bumping into a strong chest. She heard a deep laugh and tensed, her eyes flying up to meet Shane's intense gaze. The predatory look in his eyes made her throat dry.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"You find anything out there?" Shane asked, disregarding her apology.

"Yeah, I think Daryl's gonna talk to Rick about it when he gets back. I was just going back to ask Maggie how the run went." She replied nervously. She cursed herself for the wavering in her voice. She didn't want him to know how nervous he made her.

Shane just nodded in reply. She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked away from him.

Daryl had seen the exchange between the two. He saw the way Shane looked at her, he looked like a damn creep. He grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white against the strap of the crossbow.

 _Who the hell does he think he is, staring at_ her _like that._

Daryl stiffened at his thoughts. He sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face, he was absolutely exhausted and the thoughts running through his head had him on edge. Out of all the confused thoughts about what had happened today, only one thing was for certain.

Rhiannon Greene scared the shit out of him.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! And thank you to everyone that's followed and reviewed, it means so much to me. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! xx**


	5. Chapter 5

A soft voice filtered through the house and casted a sense of serenity over those that heard it. Despite the horrors that raged on past their fences, Beth Greene's innocence and angel like voice was enough to make anyone forget about it.

Rhiannon smiled as she entered the kitchen, watching Beth sing loudly as she washed dishes while Jimmy sat at the table, watching her with loving eyes.

Jimmy had become the new addition to the family it seems. Even though he'd been dating Beth for months, Rhiannon hadn't officially met him until the apocalypse started, though she practically knew every detail of his life thanks to the nightly phone calls she got from her baby sister.

She smiled politely at the teenager and walked to the table, stealing a few chips from Jimmy's plate.

"Rhi! Come on, sing along."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at her sister's enthusiasm. She didn't even recognize the song she was singing. She'd never been a fan of country music, something her and her family had butted heads over during long car rides.

"Beth, you know the rules. You only get the luxury of hearing my beautiful voice if you're sick." She chided her sarcastically making Beth roll her eyes playfully.

Ever since the second Beth was born, Rhiannon had taken to being her protector. Everytime she cried in the middle of the night, Hershel and Annette would make their way into their new baby's room to find Rhiannon sat beside her crib singing to her softly, calming the baby down until she eventually fell back asleep.

Rhiannon couldn't even describe the amount of love she felt for her baby sister when a seven year old Beth had sung to her after she had found her crying after a fight she'd had with their dad.

 _It goes both ways,_ Beth had told her.

It was hard for Beth to cope as a young girl when Rhiannon was sent away, it was even harder when her sister made the decision to leave for herself and moved to New York. Rhiannon had even spent a year in Paris for an exchange through school, leaving Beth heartbroken that her sister was so intent on separating herself from her family. She knew she felt like the outcast. She was a rebel that couldn't breathe in the constricting ties of living in a small town. Beth understood that she needed to move on with her life, but it didn't make it hurt any less at every holiday or birthday dinner she missed.

Despite everything, Beth loved her sister dearly. Enough to fake sick a couple of times just so Rhiannon would sing to her, sometimes even through the phone as she was miles away.

"How'd it go out there?" Jimmy asked, looking up at her hesitantly. He hadn't spoken to her much. Their first time meeting consisted of Rhiannon covered in dirt and dried blood and sporting a new scar on her face. Needless to say, Jimmy was absolutely intimidated by her. And the fact that she now had a sword across her back didn't help either.

"It was good. We got a lead on the girl, probably going out again tomorrow. Hopefully we'll find her soon."

"Going out with the redneck again?"

Rhiannon looked at Jimmy with narrowed eyes. "I dunno, maybe." She shrugged casually, staring him down making him look at his hands that fidgeted in his lap.

Beth looked at her sister with trepidation. She had seen her walking back with the guy with crossbow, both of them talking quietly to each other, their arms almost brushing against each other as they walked. She just hoped Rhiannon wasn't thinking of doing anything stupid, he certainly didn't seem like the loving boyfriend type.

"Look, Daryl and I went out there to look for a missing girl, that's it." Rhiannon stated, her tone suggesting finality, leaving no room for arguments. "If these people are staying here we may as well be nice and get to know them."

She just rolled her eyes as she watched Beth and Jimmy share unconvinced looks. Deciding the last thing she wanted was to be interrogated about a man she just met, Rhiannon made her way out of the room without a goodbye.

She walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her with a loud sigh. She loved her family but sometimes they were too much. They loved to pry which was part of the reason she was so eager to move out right after high school.

She could hear the sounds of the group's camp outside her open window. Sitting on the ledge she looked at the new inhabitants of the farm. She couldn't yet form an opinion on them. She really did like Rick and Lori, they seemed like genuinely nice people. T-dog and Glenn seemed like good people, always willing to help. She hasn't spoken to Carol or Dale but they certainly looked harmless. Carol was missing her daughter so she really couldn't blame her for being a little closed off. She really didn't have an opinion on Andrea, she seemed even less enthused than Rhiannon did to meet new people.

Then there was Shane. Every good aspect of the new group was completely overshadowed by Shane and the fact that he could very well be a murderer. Not to mention the fact that every time he opened his mouth or looked at her Rhiannon felt like throwing up. He was an absolute creep through and through.

But there was Daryl. Rhiannon watched from her window as he fiddled with his motorcycle. There was something about the surly redneck that she found fascinating. He truly was nothing like any other man she'd met before. He didn't try to impress her, hell she didn't know if he even _liked_ her.

Every time she even spoke to a guy, he would puff out his chest and pull out all the stops to bring her home with him. But Daryl was different. She could tell he didn't give a shit what she thought about him or what anybody in his group thought about him. She could do without his rude outbursts but she figured it was a defence mechanism of some sort. She could tell he wasn't one to get close to people and would prefer to push them away so he could be alone. That's definitely what he'd done to her earlier that day.

Rhiannon was just so thankful he wasn't anything like his older brother.

After their day together she really considered that they could be friends. She got the feeling they had more in common than he was letting on. They might actually get along. And the fact that he was smoking hot was a plus.

She couldn't help but watch a little longer at the way his arms flexed as he worked on his bike.

"I shoulda known."

Rhiannon's head whipped to the door, watching as Maggie made her way inside to sit next to her, a sly smirk on her face. Rhiannon just looked at her sister in confusion.

"I shoulda known you'd be moon eyed over him. A guy on a motorcycle's your only vice."

Rhiannon laughed loudly, sitting back so she was leaning against the wall.

"What you know it's true!"

"No, no you're right. I just find it funny that you think I only have one vice."

Maggie rolled her eyes at her sister, stretching her legs out beside hers.

"So how'd it go?" Rhiannon asked, trying to keep the incessant worry she's been feeling all day out of her tone. She knew Maggie was tough but dealing with walkers was a lot different than dealing with drunk assholes which she knew Maggie was adept at handling.

"It went fine, no issues." Maggie shrugged, trying to keep a neutral face.

Rhiannon of course saw right through her bullshit. Her sister could never hide anything from her. "You had sex didn't you?"

Maggie scoffed in surprise, thinking for a split second that she should lie but at the look on her sister's face, she knew it would be a failed attempt. She sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"How the hell can you tell?" She asked in disbelief.

Rhiannon smirked at her sister. "You're cheeks are flushed, you have a satisfied smile with a hint of questioning regret. I've seen that look many times, I've _had_ that look many times."

"Slut."

Rhiannon scoffed, kicking her leg playfully. "You're one to talk, you just met this guy today."

"Hey, it's the end of the world ain't it? I could die tomorrow so I may as well live life to the fullest." Maggie joked but her smile dissipated at the tortured look on Rhiannon's face.

"Don't say that. I'm not gonna let you get hurt."

Maggie felt her heart constrict. The first time her big sister had said those words to her was when she was putting a princess bandaid on her skinned knee after she fell off the swing at the park as a toddler. Rhiannon had never failed to keep her from getting hurt since then. It was certainly hilarious when her past boyfriends would cower at her 5 foot tall sister after she'd threaten them.

Maggie nodded slowly and grabbed her hand, her thumb running over her knuckles. She almost breathed a sigh in relief as she noticed there were no more bruising marring her hands. She never brought it up to Rhiannon, knowing she wouldn't have gotten an explanation as to how it happened. It scared her thinking about what she'd been through on her own.

Rhiannon could feel the tension in the room and knew she needed to change the conversation.

"So how was he?"

"What?"

"Glenn. Was he good?"

Maggie laughed loudly and covered her face with her hands.

"Damn, that bad?"

"Rhiannon! Shut up, he was fine."

"Just fine? Jesus Maggie, you don't settle for just fine. If you don't have an orgasm you straight up tell the guy that he needs to be working harder or else there's not gonna be a second time. There's no shame in teaching them how to do it right, it's worth it in the end." Rhiannon was only half joking but the embarrassment on Maggie's face was worth everything.

"Oh my god." Maggie muttered, placing a hand over her mouth to hide her huge smile. She'd certainly missed her big sister. "It was good. Trust me."

Rhiannon nodded and looked out the window at the group. "You do realize he's never gonna leave you alone now."

Maggie shrugged, she'd had unnerving thoughts running through her head all day. "If daddy lets them stay." She mumbled.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. She couldn't let her father kick these people out, that was practically a death sentence. "That's not gonna happen."

Rhiannon and Maggie stayed in silence, both of them thinking about what the world has come to. Rhiannon's thoughts were obviously a hell of a lot more gory and darker than Maggie's.

"I'm thinking of cleaning out the closets. We need room to store stuff for the winter and I definitely don't need my old dance costumes taking up all this space." She suggested.

Maggie nodded at her idea, so thankful that they had her around. She had a feeling her father was a little naive about the world now but Rhiannon actually knew what she was doing and what was important to survive, she was constantly going around the house turning off lights so they didn't waste the fuel in the generators.

"Where are you gonna put all of it?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "I dunno, maybe the barn. Or we could talk to dad and let these guys stay in the barn. They can't very well stay out there in just a tent during the winter." She said motioning to the people out the window. She didn't even notice the way Maggie's face paled at her words.

Maggie swallowed thickly, racking her brain for an excuse that wouldn't make her sister suspicious. "Are you sure you wanna get rid of those costumes, they're so cute. God knows we could use some good memories nowadays."

The day Rhiannon had gotten back her father had told all of them not to tell her about the barn. She'd been so upset after hearing about Annette and Shawn. _I'm sorry you had to do that._

Her words suggested that they had put them out of their misery, something they should have done.

Maggie knew Rhiannon wouldn't agree with keeping them while they waited for a cure. The risk was too high and with the paranoia they'd witnessed within her, they knew she would flip out.

"Maybe you could give 'em to Beth. She was always stealing them as a kid, I'm sure she'd love to have them."

Rhiannon smiled lightly at the memory of Beth prancing around in her old costumes begging her to teach her the moves.

"Yeah I guess."

Maggie practically sagged right to the floor in relief. She did _not_ want to be the one to tell her.

They stayed in silence for a few more moments.

"So tell me more about Glenn."

Maggie groaned loudly, a smile stretching her face. "You're not letting this go anytime soon are you?"

"No way. Now spill, how big is he?"

Maggie's loud laugh could be heard throughout the whole house.

* * *

The rest of the day went by quickly and soon enough the night was dark and the house was quiet.

Rhiannon slowly crept into the guest room where they were letting Carl recuperate.

She knocked softly and poked her head in, a smile gracing her lips as she noticed the young boy awake. She noticed Rick and Lori by his bedside, their hands intertwined.

"Hey. Sorry for interrupting."

"No, no, come on in." Lori smiled warmly.

"Are you Rhiannon?"

She looked up at the young boy and nodded.

"My dad told me what you did. Thanks for helping me." Carl said, his eyes shifting to his father slightly as he spoke. Clearly it had been Rick's idea to make him say thank you and the words had come from him.

Rhiannon let out a quiet laugh. "It was my pleasure, Carl. I'm glad you're ok."

He smiled at the girl bashfully causing Rick and Lori to stifle their laughter as to not embarrass their son further.

"I, uh, brought you some tea. If that's ok." She said, looking to his parents for permission. "It's an herbal tea, it's supposed to help with pain. He's only allowed to take the antibiotics twice a day so this should help in case it wears off before he can take another one."

Lori turned to her husband, her eyes wide with delighted surprise. They smiled at each other and nodded, gesturing her to hand it to Carl.

"Now it usually doesn't taste that good so I added some vanilla."

Carl happily grabbed the mug from her hands and took a large sip. Everyone let out a laugh at the delighted look on his face.

"This is so good!" He said happily, gulping it down so quickly that it dribbled down his chest.

"Woah, slow down." Rick laughed, taking the almost empty mug from him.

"Sorry." Carl blushed, wiping his mouth. He looked to Rhiannon who was trying to hide her prideful smile. "Thanks, that was delicious."

"You're welcome." She smiled widely at him and looked to Rick and Lori giving them a nod at the grateful looks they sent her way. "I'll let you get some rest. See you guys tomorrow." She said as she stood from the chair at his bedside.

"Wait!" She turned at looked to Carl who looked hesitant to ask her something. "Is it true you have a sword?" He asked tentatively.

Rhiannon couldn't help the loud laugh that left her. "It is. Maybe when you're feeling better I can teach you how to use it."

Carl's face lit up and he looked at his father with barely contained excitement. Rhiannon looked to Lori and discreetly shook her head, assuring the mother that her son would not be playing with a _sword_ anytime soon. Lori nodded back at her, a knowing look on her face.

"Goodnight guys." She gave Carl one last smile who blushed in response.

"Goodnight."

Rhiannon walked out of the room and into the kitchen, looking for a snack for her nightly patrols of the fences. It was a habit she wouldn't break as long as they were on the farm. Her family was incredibly naive thinking they were safe from the horrors of the world and she would be damned if she let them get hurt because of it.

"Rhiannon,"

She turned to Rick who leaned against the door frame, a tired look on his face.

"I just wanted to thank you for that." He said, gesturing back to the room Carl was in. "Where'd you learn about that kind of stuff?"

"My mom. She was into all those natural remedies, always said a good cup of tea was the cure for everything."

Rick nodded and looked at her with an amused smirk. "I think he has a crush on you." He laughed.

Rhiannon let out a quiet laugh, placing a hand over her eyes. "I think he might be more interested in the sword than me."

She pulled out a box of chocolate chip cookies she'd kept hidden under the sink, something she'd been doing since she was a toddler, and sat down at the table, motioning for Rick to sit. Rick laughed at her antics and sat down across from her.

"I'm allowed to have one?" He asked jokingly as she offered him one of the hidden cookies.

She rolled her eyes and smirked at him. "This will be the one and only time I offer you my cookies so take one while you can. And don't tell anyone where I hide them."

They laughed together and ate in silence.

"Why do you do it?" Rick asked suddenly, his blues eyes piercing hers.

"Do what?"

"Help people. You don't know us but we've been here two days and you've already sacrificed so much. Why?"

Rhiannon sighed deeply and contemplated her next words and just how much she wanted to tell the ex sheriff.

"I'm sure my dad mentioned that I was alone for awhile, right?" Rick nodded, looking at her thoughtfully to continue. "I spent three weeks out there, all alone. I know what it's like to be constantly looking over your shoulder, to be too scared to fall asleep cause you're worried you'll wake up with a dead person feasting on your insides."

Rick winced. He hadn't exactly gone through what she'd been describing, he had a whole group of people to lean on, to share the heavyweight of survival with.

"This world changes people." She continued, grabbing his attention again.

"There are people out there who'll do anything to survive, even if it means hurting someone else." Rick looked pained at her words. He'd been alone in this new world for only a couple of hours but it was enough for him to realize how terrifying it was to truly be alone out there. This young woman had spent _weeks_ alone, with no one to help her. He didn't even want to think about the bad people she'd encountered.

The thought that Rhiannon could possibly talking about a member of his group, his best friend, didn't even cross his mind. He had no idea how she saw Shane and the darkness that was slowly creeping through his veins.

"I got shot on the job." Rick began his story, Rhiannon hanging onto his every word. It was nice that it wasn't _her_ talking about her life for a change.

"I woke up from a coma to all this, no idea what was goin' on. It was chilling goin' into the city, seeing it destroyed. I almost gave up. I was surrounded and thought there was no way out so I put a gun to my head."

Rhiannon was stunned to silence. She just nodded in understanding.

Rick noticed and frowned deeply. "You ever get to that point?" He couldn't help but think of Jenner and how he had 'opted out'.

A shaky breath left her lips and she averted her eyes from his. His gaze was too intense for her.

"Once. I thought it'd be easier to just end it. I didn't have a gun though so that it made it a little difficult but there was a split second when I hesitated. I almost considered letting one of those dickheads have a nice meal." She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. That had been the lowest point of her entire life but for some reason it felt right talking to Rick about it, it was like talking to a friend she'd known for years.

"What stopped you?"

"My family. It was selfish of me to leave them when I knew they were here waiting for me. I didn't want all the other shit I endured to be for nothing."

A smile stretched across Rick's lips. He thought about his own motivation while he was sitting in that tank thinking there was no way out. Lori and Carl had been the only things on his mind.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence. There were questions on the tip of his tongue but his brain was telling him to keep quiet. They seemed like they were bonding, he didn't want to ruin it but he just couldn't keep it in any longer.

"You said there were bad people out there. You got hurt?"

 _Geez, you really don't hold anything back, officer,_ Rhiannon thought to herself. She briefly considered storming out so she wouldn't have to speak about it but there was a small voice in the back of her mind that told her it would be good for her to finally let it out.

Rhiannon looked down at her fingers that tapped on the table in a nervous rhythm. She let out a deep breath and turned her eyes to Rick who had a look of guilty regret on his face.

"Let's just say I didn't always have this." She practically whispered as her fingers traced the faint scar above her eyebrow.

Rick reached out, placing a hand over hers. "Someone tried to kill you?" His surprised voice was laced with anger.

It actually hurt to think of someone trying to hurt her. She'd been nothing but kind to him and his family, risking her life for her son and again for Sophia. The thought of anyone hurting such an innocent and genuinely _good_ person was unfathomable.

"I deserved it." She whispered, her eyes stinging with tears. She blinked them away rapidly. She looked up at Rick's confused face. "Rick, people are dead because of me. There're people that are dead cause I wasn't fast enough or I made a stupid mistake. The reason I went to the school to get the stuff for Carl, the reason I was out there today looking for Sophia was cause I can't watch another person die cause I didn't try hard enough. I can't handle that again." A tear ran down her cheek and Rhiannon quickly wiped it away, slumping down in her seat in defeat. She hated showing any weakness.

Rick was quiet for a moment, eyeing her carefully. He sighed and drummed his fingers against the table. "Well, now I know for sure."

"What?"

Rick smiled warmly at the woman in front of him who looked even younger with the hurt look on her face. "When you left to go to the school and I found out you were out there on your own, I thought to myself that that might be the strongest woman I'd ever seen. Now I know for sure that's true."

Rhiannon blushed and looked down. "I don't know about that." She muttered.

"I do." Rick's saw the disbelieving look on her face and before she could open she mouth to inevitably argue he stopped her. "Just take the compliment." He laughed.

She bit her lip to stop herself from arguing with him and nodded. "Thanks."

"You should get some rest." He said to her, standing up and walking out of the room, leaving her with her thoughts.

Rhiannon quickly stood and made her way out of the house, completely ignoring Rick's advice to get rest. She made sure to hold the door and slowly close it so it didn't squeak and wake everyone up.

She inwardly groaned as she noticed a few people still sitting by the fire. T-Dog waved to her as she passed. She waved back politely but immediately turned her head and started walking faster when she noticed Shane looking at her.

She was now regretting coming out here altogether. Even from the distance she saw that stupid smirk on his face that put a chill down her spine.

She shook her head and walked to the furthest fence on the edge of the property, thankful that it was out of sight of the makeshift camp.

The long grass swayed with the wind, causing a light swishing sound amongst the loud noise of the crickets. The farm was spooky at night, she'd always been a little scared to be out here by herself at night, even more so now that there might be things trying to kill her at every turn. Her old fears seemed so trivial now.

Rhiannon propped herself up onto the ledge of the wooden fence, looking out into the forest in front of her, her hunting knife turning in her hands as she awaited any threats to come her way. So far there hadn't been any walkers on the property, but it didn't mean one wouldn't ever come so she was out every night for hours making sure it was safe.

Her head tipped back and a wide smile spread across her face. She was reminded of the nights she spent out in the field with her mom watching the stars. It hurt too much to come out alone after she'd died and living in New York didn't leave any opportunities for her to see the stars with all the city lights. She'd forgotten how much she loved doing this. If she wanted, she'd stay out there and watch them all night.

She was so caught up in the view, she didn't even notice the footsteps that came from behind her.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

"Jesus!" She turned and saw Daryl standing behind her with a scowl on his face and one hand holding the strap of the crossbow at his back. "What the hell are you doing?" She breathed out, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"Saw you comin' down here by yourself, thought you might be doin' somethin' stupid."

Rhiannon scowled right back at Daryl, her jaw clenching. Apparently he loved to rile her up just as much as she did to him.

"I'm not doing anything stupid, I'm just keeping watch."

Daryl eyed her thoughtfully and climbed up the fence she was sat on, making sure there was at least a foot of space in between them. "You know we got a watch set up back at camp, right?"

Rhiannon nodded slowly, keeping her eyes forward. "There's a lot of blind spots here. You really complaining about more safety precautions?" She chided him.

"You gonna protect all of us, tinkerbell?"

She glared at him fiercely, but her frown wavered when she noticed his smirk. She rolled her eyes at him and couldn't help the small smile that grew.

"The hell you doin' out here without your sword anyways?" His teasing tone was now gone and their eyes locked in an intense gaze. She felt like Daryl could see every part of her, everything she'd been trying to keep hidden.

She shrugged and held up her hunting knife. "I got this."

Daryl took the knife from her hands, turning it over to examine it. "Where'd you get this?" He asked with furrowed brows. The knife was first class, something he couldn't even afford back in the old world. He wondered why a girl like her would have it.

"I lived in New York and I'd have to take the subway home pretty late cause I didn't get off til after midnight some nights so I thought I'd feel safer having it."

"The fuck were you doin' that you were out so late?"

"Uh, uh. I just met you and I've already told you way too much about myself so I'm not telling you anymore unless you tell me something about yourself." Rhiannon bargained, a sarcastic smile on her face. Daryl just scoffed in response and narrowed his eyes at her, letting her know loud and clear that that was not happening. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

The pair sat in silence, Daryl watching the trees in front of them. He turned his head and let an amused half smile begin to grow as he saw her head back watching the stars. He was content to just admire the view for a few moments.

"You really do this every night?" His voice broke her out of her thoughts. She nodded slowly.

"Ever since I got back." She said, not even realizing that she was telling him more about her life, something she proclaimed she wasn't going to do.

Daryl frowned, his gaze turning hard as he looked at her. "Got back?"

Rhiannon sighed loudly and pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes. _What was it with people asking me about my life today?_

She looked at him, studying the way he bit the inside of his cheek, the way his hands fidgeted with her hunting knife that was still in his grasp and his blue eyes that watched her intently, waiting for an answer. She told him about New York and the call she got that made her rush home which led to three weeks in hell.

Daryl was speechless, he had _really_ underestimated her. He didn't know what to say to her. _Well, a sorry for starters maybe._ He really felt like an asshole after what he'd said to her earlier that day. He decided to just say nothing, knowing him he'd probably just make it worse by opening his mouth.

Rhiannon didn't know what to think of his silence. She certainly wasn't expecting an apology or pity. She doubted she'd ever get that out of him. She couldn't help but worry what he thought of her.

"I should probably get back before they notice I'm gone." She mumbled, startling Daryl out of his serenity. He'd been uncharacteristically calm out here with her, and like everything else about her he'd experienced that day, that scared him. He nodded and hopped of the fence and watched with fascination as she gracefully slid down. She was only barely five feet tall but with the way she moved it looked like her legs went on for miles.

"Daryl." He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her face, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks as he worried that he'd been caught staring at her. "My knife."

"Oh, right." He scratched the back of his neck and held his other hand out. He tried not to flinch or pull away when her fingers brushed his as she took her knife.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled brightly at him and turned, walking back to the house.

"Night." He mumbled, doubting she'd heard him at all. Daryl was mentally kicking himself for acting like an idiot teenager. He tried his hardest but he honestly could not stop himself from watching her as she walked away.

As Rhiannon walked back, she could feel him watching. When she knew Shane had been watching her, her body tensed and she felt disgusted with herself. When she knew Daryl was watching she didn't feel creeped out at all. Quite the opposite. She felt proud that she had caught the attention of the surly redneck.

The smile didn't leave her face even after she was laying in her bed in the dark room. There was something about Daryl Dixon that she just couldn't stop thinking about.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it took me so long but I had 5 exams within 3 days so my life was pretty crazy last week but its all over now and the school year is finally done which leaves me so much more time to write! I know there's a crap ton of dialogue but I really want Rhiannon to form relationships not just with Daryl but with the rest of the group too. I really want her and Rick to be like a dynamic duo. Next chapter we get some classic Dixon attitude (it's been a while since we had some) and more bonding with the group. Are you surprised that Rhiannon didn't know about the barn? Let me know what you think xx**


	6. Chapter 6

" _Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her? Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and who will be her lover?"_

 _A young Daryl Dixon was seated at the lopsided kitchen table. The other night his father had started yelling at his mother and he was sent to his room. Ever since that night the table hadn't been steady and his mother was walking with a significant limp._

 _The young boy watched with a toothy grin as his mother twirled around the dingy kitchen, her hands high above her head as she sang along to the radio. He couldn't help but let out a small giggle when she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his chair. He laughed loudly, throwing his head back as she gathered him in her arms and spun him around._

 _He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. It was one of the rare moments his mother was happy and not drinking herself into a stupor._

" _You ever hear the story of Rhiannon, Sweetie?"_

 _The little boy shook his head, smiling widely as his mother swayed them back and forth to the mystical song that was playing._

" _It's about a Welsh witch. Some people even believed Rhiannon was a queen. The legend is that when you hear her song you fall asleep and when you wake up all your pain is gone. Every bad thing in your life is gone."_

 _Daryl frowned as the smile on his mother's face disappeared. She had tears in her eyes. She pulled the young boy into her chest, letting him rest his head on her shoulder as she twirled slowly, the motions calming Daryl. He felt like sleeping. He wasn't a stupid kid, he'd seen what his father did to his mother. It scared him. He didn't understand why he would be so mean to someone he was supposed to love._

" _You know, Honey, one day you'll find a girl and you'll fall in love. And when you find someone worth loving, you treat her like a queen. You never let anything hurt her."_

" _Eww, Mama. Girls are gross." The little boy groaned making his mother laugh. She put her son back in his chair and wiped the tears from her eyes._

" _One day you'll find your Rhiannon." She told him and turned, going back to making his lunch as she returned to singing along with the radio._

" _Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind."_

Daryl's body jerked as he was suddenly ripped from his sleep. His heart pounded in his chest and there was a light sheen of sweat coating his trembling body.

That had been one of the first memories he had and one of the only good ones he had of his home life. He remembered his mother always listening to that song, and he could finally understand why. She was always so depressed, being abused day after day by his father. Her solution was drinking until she forgot, except for that song. The song was the only healthy way she'd dealt with her problems.

He clung to that memory, it was the only time he'd felt like a normal kid with an normal caring family.

He took in a shaky breath and rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was just a crazy coincidence right? The name of the song his mother was always singing, the song she told him would take away his pain, the song that would run through his head after a harsh beating from his dad, just so happened to have the same name as the girl on the farm he couldn't get out of his head.

He didn't know what to think about her, his thoughts were all so new and confusing. No one had ever bothered to confide in him for anything, but last night she had told him about her struggles, about how she spent weeks on her own. It was new for Daryl, having someone to talk to, but he found he actually enjoyed listening to her talk, learning more about her life.

He rolled his eyes at himself. It was ridiculous to think that someone would want him as a friend, let alone anything more. Especially someone like Rhiannon.

She'd been running through his mind all day yesterday after they'd parted ways. He would seek her out every time he saw her father or one of her sisters, hoping to catch a glance at her. He wished to talk to her more, well, really he'd rather just listen to her talk. It was almost frightening to him how easy it was to be around her, to talk to her. That had certainly never happened before. Daryl sometimes found it hard to be around even Merle.

 _That don't mean nothin',_ he thought to himself.

It was just attraction, he kept telling himself. She was gorgeous and that's why he kept thinking of her. But Daryl knew he was bullshitting himself. He never in his life was so overwhelmed by someone. He could stare at her all day and never get bored, she was absolutely beautiful.

Daryl scowled and grit his teeth, scolding himself for his own thoughts. Dixon men didn't call girls beautiful and they didn't fawn over girls like a pussy.

 _She rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?_

Daryl audibly groaned as he thought of those lyrics that had haunted him his whole life. "Fuckin' stupid." He mumbled to himself, pulling at the ends of his hair.

He could hear people moving around the camp. Usually he was the first one awake to go hunting but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts he'd lost track of time. He didn't want to think about the time he wasted acting like a teenager with a crush instead of going out to look for Sophia.

He reluctantly got out of his tent, crossbow in hand. He nodded to Rick who waved from where he was looking over the map. Daryl followed and forced himself to focus. He just hoped he could get that damn song out of his head and the girl he pictured with it.

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit." Rhiannon hissed as she sprinted down the stairs, pulling down the tank top she'd carelessly thrown on. She'd woken up late. Her mind wouldn't shut up which led her to toss and turn all night.

"Sorry, I overslept." She smiled sheepishly at her father who putting away the breakfast dishes.

"Don't worry about it, baby girl, you haven't missed much. Why don't you go feed the horses." Her father kissed her forehead and led her towards the door. "Did you get enough sleep?" He asked her with a frown on his face. He'd notice how tired his daughter was lately, the dark circles under her eyes that marred her youthful appearance were not lost on him either. \

He knew she had nightmares and it worried him greatly. No father ever wants to see his child suffer like that. Especially now with the way the world is. It made his chest tighten in sadness every time she flinched at a loud noise or stared off into space with fear in her eyes. It terrified him speculating what happened to his baby girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She brushed him off, making her way outside. Hershel made sure to follow her, wanting to talk to her more but he knew it would be pointless. He could never force that girl to do anything she didn't want to do.

"If you're going out again today to look for the girl, make sure you come tell me first. I don't need to be worrying about you all day."

She nodded and kissed her father's cheek. "You got it, boss."

She could hear him let out a laugh as she skipped down the porch steps and made her way to the stables. Her heartbeat had gone back to normal as she walked by herself. It had started to beat out of control when she saw the look on her Dad's face. She was afraid he'd hold her back and demand answers she'd never be comfortable to give.

She shook her head as she opened the stable doors and greeted the horses happily, kissing their heads. She had barely seen them over the past couple of years. She didn't have a lot of time to make it home and when she did it was only for a weekend where her sisters demanded her attention. But as a kid she made sure to spend as much time as she could with the horses, sometimes she even fell asleep in the stables.

She began brushing down the mane of one of her favourite horses, Ellie, as she ate. She felt so nostalgic, like she was a kid again, resting on her father's shoulders while she brushed them down because she was too small to reach, even while standing on a stool.

Once she was finished she put down the brush and the empty food bucket. In that same moment, Daryl came around the corner. He stopped in his tracks in the doorway of the stables. He felt his breath choke out of his throat as he saw the object of his thoughts bent over in front of him.

"Uhh, I- what are you doin'?" He stuttered, taking a few steps back away from her as she straightened out and turned to face him.

She smiled at him brightly leaving him breathless. He didn't think anyone had ever looked so happy to see him or had ever smiled so genuinely at him. He cursed to himself, he was going down a dangerous path.

"Hey! I was just feeding the horses. You going out to look for Sophia?" She asked as he brought down a saddle from the hooks on the wall. He just grunted in response which didn't seem to bother her. "I was thinking we could check out that creek where Rick said he left her, maybe with these horses we can cover more ground."

"We?" Daryl scoffed, setting up the furthest horse. He was trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

Rhiannon sighed, her shoulders slumping. "We're really gonna do this again?" She asked in exasperation. He was so hot and cold, she couldn't keep up.

"I told you yesterday, I'm better on my own. You don't know how to track, you'd just slow me down." He barked at her, feeling slightly bad at the dejected look _he_ had put on her face, but he couldn't risk getting close to her. He'd end up looking like an idiot, thinking he stood a chance with her.

Rhiannon didn't feel like arguing with him. They'd had one yesterday but he'd apologized and they actually had a good time together. She didn't want to take five steps backwards so she kept quiet.

She noticed he was having trouble with the saddle, fiddling with the buckles clumsily. He huffed in annoyance making her smirk, she thought it was adorable.

"Here, let me help."

Rhiannon moved beside him, leaning over him to get a better look at what he was doing. His body stiffened at how close she was to him. He swallowed thickly and clenched his jaw. She was making this so much harder.

"Don't need your help, move." He snapped, brushing her hand away from the saddle so he could do it himself.

She bit her lip to keep herself from snapping back at him. She breathed deeply, willing herself to calm down and let it go. It was then she noticed what horse he'd picked. Nervous Nelly was not reliable in the slightest.

"You might wanna take a diff-"

"I said I don't need your help! Just leave me alone." He yelled at her making her flinch back from him.

 _Deep breaths, be the better person,_ Rhiannon told herself. She watched him for a few seconds as he finished setting up the horse. She couldn't help but admire the way the muscles in his back flexed under his shirt. For some reason his sexiness just made her even angrier. _Screw being the better person._

"What the fuck is with you?" She yelled, startling Daryl. He looked up at her with a glare, he hated that she could give it right back to him, it made him like her more. "Why can't you just let me help you? Are you really so incapable of being friends with someone?"

"Friends? That what we are?" He scoffed at her making her blood boil.

"Well, obviously not." She took one last look at him as he climbed on the horse. _I hope Nelly throws him off._ The thought made her smile. "Have a nice ride." She said sarcastically.

He looked down at her with confusion, his eyes following her as she stormed out of the stable. He grumbled and pulled the reins, making the horse move.

 _Friends._ The word was like an echo in his head. Of course she just wanted to be friends, of course she didn't look at him the way he looked at her. He was just a redneck asshole. She could do so much better. It was ridiculous for her to even consider them friends, girls like her didn't even look twice at guys like him.

He shook his head, he needed to stop thinking about her. He just wasn't used to getting attention from girls, especially ones that could actually hold a conversation and challenge him. That's the only reason he kept thinking about her.

No matter how much he told himself that, it sounded wrong each time.

* * *

Rhiannon was stomping back to the house when she noticed Glenn and Maggie together. She smiled and slyly moved to the side of the porch out of their view. She made sure to step on her toes so she didn't make any noise.

"You know, we still have eleven condoms."

Rhiannon almost choked on her spit. She slapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to burst out laughing.

"You see eleven condoms, I see eleven minutes of my life I'm never gettin' back."

 _I've taught her so well._

She actually felt bad for the guy as he tried to be suave but got shot down. She watched Maggie walk away and decided to make herself known. She cleared her throat as she stepped around the corner so he could see her.

"Oh, Hey, I-I didn't see you there." Glenn rubbed the back of his neck, feeling himself beginning to sweat.

Rhiannon walked onto the porch so she was standing next to him. He swallowed, moving his weight from side to side. Maggie made him nervous but Rhiannon absolutely terrified him. It probably had something to do with the sword.

"You like her right?"

He nodded, his eyes trained to the spot where she had left from. "Yeah. I mean it wasn't just sex for me."

Rhiannon smiled at him endearingly, he really was adorable. "She likes you too, don't worry." He snapped his head towards her, his eyes wide with excitement.

"How do you know?"

She laughed at his eagerness. "I know my sister. She's just playing hard to get. She likes you back but she doesn't want to seem desperate so she pretends she doesn't and by doing that it makes you want her more so it's a win win. Trust me, I _taught_ her that move."

Glenn laughed in disbelief. "Really? Girls actually do that?"

"Oh yeah. It's how we weed out the bad ones. We need someone who's willing to fight for us." He nodded slowly, looking like he'd just been told the secrets of the universe. "You're a good guy Glenn." Rhiannon smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"So you approve?"

"Yeah I approve. But if you hurt her I'll skewer your balls with my sword. Got it?"

Glenn blushed deeply and nodded quickly, his eyes wide with fear. "Loud and clear." He practically squeaked.

"See you later." She said happily and walked into the house, leaving a stunned Glenn behind who just swallowed thickly and stood in silence, the fear ebbing slowly.

Rhiannon had a huge smile on her face. That was exactly what she needed after getting yelled at by Daryl.

She started to make her way up the stairs to get her sword. The search for Sophia was still going on and she wasn't going to sit on her ass just because Daryl didn't want her to go with him. _Fuck that guy,_ she sneered in her mind. She couldn't help but smirk at the other connotation of that phrase. She shook her head of her dirty thoughts of those muscular arms wrapped around her. He was an asshole and he definitely wasn't interested, he'd made that perfectly clear. Guys like him didn't go for girls like her. She figured he looked at her like a stuck up, spoiled brat, he'd already said as much.

She wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong, she wanted him to actually know _her_. The thought made her shiver slightly. In all her life, Rhiannon had never cared what people thought about her, she certainly never cared enough to want to change someone's opinion of her. But Daryl was different. For some reason she actually really cared how he saw her.

Pushing the confusing thoughts from her mind, she grabbed her weapon and started down the stairs. She needed a clear head if she was going out past the fence, she didn't want to get killed because some rude redneck wouldn't leave her thoughts.

Voices were heard in the kitchen making the blonde woman stop in her place. Her immediate worry was that there was someone dangerous, someone she didn't know trying to hurt her family. She heard laughter and her tense shoulders sagged slightly. She peeked her head around the corner and chastised herself when she saw that it was only Lori and Carol.

She hesitated for a moment for before stepping into the kitchen, making herself known. "Hey, how's it going?" She smiled warmly, hoping she sounded more cheerful than anxious. She never used to be so nervous with people before the world ended.

"Hi Rhiannon!" Lori greeted her happily making her furrow her brows lightly. She didn't understand why this woman was so nice to her. Sure she helped her son but Lori didn't know anything about her. "We decided to make dinner tonight as a thank you for everything you and your family has done for us."

"You don't have to do that. Really, it's f-"

"Please, it's the least we can do. Especially after yesterday." Carol chimed in. "I'm sorry, we haven't had a chance to talk yet. I'm Carol...Sophia's mom." She smiled sadly, swallowing thickly to keep her emotions at bay.

Rhiannon just nodded awkwardly knowing nothing she said would aid the grieving mother. "It's nice to meet you." She inwardly cringed at her useless words. "And it's really no trouble at all. Anything I can do to help, just tell me."

Carol smiled at her timidly and looked at Lori who gave her a look as if to say 'see? I told you'. Lori had gushed about Rhiannon ever since she'd helped Carl.

She figured her words had meant more than just helping with dinner. Carol didn't know how to even start repaying her for helping to find Sophia. "Thank you." Carol's voice was a whisper as she fought the tears that had started to build up at the slightest thought of her daughter.

Rhiannon smiled shyly at the woman who looked like she was about to fall apart. She stood awkwardly in the kitchen, watching the two women work. "Do you need help? I'm a pretty terrible cook but I'd like to hope that I couldn't screw up peeling a potato."

Carol chuckled and wiped her hands on her pants. "Actually, would you happen to have a vegetable garden? I think everyone would be happy to have fresh veggies instead of ones from a can."

"Yeah, I'll show you."

Carol followed Rhiannon out the back door to the small garden. "It's not much but it's definitely better than that canned shit."

"This is wonderful."

Carol began to pull the vegetables out of the garden. Rhiannon looked out into the trees in front of her and sighed. She contemplated her decision for a few moments before finally relenting. She took the sword off her back and laid it down in the grass beside her before stepping into the garden with Carol. She couldn't ignore the feeling of guilt at not going out to look for Sophia but she figured she'd be doing just as much good giving Carol someone to talk to, a way to keep her mind off of her missing daughter if only for a few minutes.

The two women worked in silence which Rhiannon was grateful for. She liked that Carol didn't try to fill the silence with meaningless chatter, she didn't bother with questions like 'what did you do before all this?' Even though Rhiannon knew everyone was curious about her.

She knew everyone had seen her going to take watch last night. She was the only one in her family that carried a weapon, and it was a fucking sword. She was sure by now they'd all notice the difference in their accents.

But it seemed like the two had an unspoken agreement. Carol didn't ask her about her life and Rhiannon didn't ask her about Sophia.

Carol stopped working and straightened her back, watching the young woman work. She breathed deeply, trying to find the courage to ask her questions. "What did you find at that cabin?"

Rhiannon was startled at the break in silence. She hadn't expected the woman to ask. "Uhm, we found a blanket hidden in a cupboard and a fresh can of tuna, so she'd been there recently." Carol nodded but her face was still ashen with sadness. "She hid and she was able to find food, you raised a smart girl."

Carol smiled and let out a breathless laugh, wiping a tear that fell. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for my girl."

Rhiannon reached over and grabbed Carol's hand that was trembling slightly. "We'll find her."

"You really think so?" She asked, bitterness seeping into her voice. "I see the way people look at me. They all have the same look on their faces, like I've already lost her, like it's done."

"Just ignore them. They've never had a missing child, they don't have any right to judge."

Carol studied her for a moment, wondering just how the young woman had come to be so bright and insightful. "Well thank you again, for everything." Rhiannon smiled at her and squeezed her hand one last time. "I have to remember to thank Daryl when he gets back. He's done so much for my girl."

Rhiannon couldn't help the small sneer that came on her face at the mention of the man who'd been a huge asshole to her earlier. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Carol laughed lightly. "I guess he isn't the easiest to get along with. He's changing though, I can see it." That certainly had Rhiannon's attention. "Back at our old camp he was belligerent, so disrespectful. He's different here though. He seems quite taken with you." Carol smiled at the young woman who began to blush furiously.

Rhiannon just stuttered and fumbled with her words, not knowing what she could possibly say that wouldn't be too incriminating to what her thoughts were on the redneck.

"Don't act like you haven't seen it. He spent all afternoon with you yesterday, you guys came back to camp talking. Daryl Dixon was actually having a conversation with you."

"So that means he's taken with me?" Rhiannon asked sarcastically, trying to hide the fierce blush on her cheeks. She was sure Carol could see right through her.

"He doesn't do that with just anyone. We've all been trying to get him to talk to us for weeks and within hours he's talking to you like you're old friends."

"He honestly didn't talk that much, he was just asking me about _my_ life."

Carol laughed in amusement. "You think Daryl's ever asked any of us about our lives?"

That shut Rhiannon up quickly. She didn't know what to think of Carol's words. If he really did care enough to talk to her, which apparently is a huge feat, why did he act like such a jerk to her?

She couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach at the thought that he tries harder with her, that she was different to him than everyone else. She pushed the happiness from her mind, she was supposed to be mad at him.

Carol's smile faltered at the contemplative look on Rhiannon's face. She felt bad for embarrassing her and decided to save her from whatever was going on in her mind. "I'm just thankful his brother isn't around.

Rhiannon scoffed. "We should all be thankful that Merle's not here."

"You know Merle?" Carol asked in shock, a bewildered look on her face.

"Uhh, yeah. I met him once, over a year ago." She winced, cursing her big mouth. She didn't want everyone knowing about her connection to the Dixon's, she figured people would probably talk to Daryl about it and she knew that was the last thing he'd want, ever. But this story was too good to keep quiet. That jerk would just have to suffer the repercussions. "I broke his nose." She blurted out with a satisfied smirk on her face.

The look of shocked delight on Carol's face made her burst out laughing. Soon enough Carol was laughing right along with her. Rhiannon smiled even wider at the sight of the grieving mother letting loose and genuinely laughing.

"I would give all the money in the world to have seen that."

"It was probably the best thing I'd ever done in my whole life." Rhiannon joked.

The two women got back to work picking the vegetables until there was nothing left for them to pick. "Alright, I think we got them all." Carol spoke cheerily, wiping the dirt off her hands. She looked to Rhiannon and gasped, her heart dropping to her stomach.

A gust of wind had come as Rhiannon was bent over sending her loose tank top to ride up to her middle back, leaving her scars in perfect view. But she didn't notice, not until a shaky hand was softly pressed to the forbidden skin.

She stumbled back a couple of steps, nearly falling over. She turned to look at Carol who had tears in her eyes and a tortured expression on her face. Pulling her shirt down with shaking hands, Rhiannon let a choked breath leave her throat as her eyes began to sting with tears.

Carol had seen everything. She saw the small circular burns left by cigarettes and the jagged 'A' that was carved on her lower back. Visions of Ed crossed her mind in a brutal mirage. She winced and put a hand over her mouth that quivered. She guess she should be thankful that her late husband had never left any permanent reminders.

The older woman couldn't imagine anyone ever hurting the sweet girl in front of her. Carol quickly reached for her hand, stopping her when she saw that she was about to bolt.

"You can't," Rhiannon paused, taking a gasping breath as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "You can't tell anyone."

Carol was stunned. "T-they, they don't know? You didn't even tell your sisters?"

Rhiannon shook her head, her hair falling over her face. "If I told them my Dad would be in prison for murder right now."

"A boyfriend did this?" Carol asked timidly. Rhiannon just shuddered in response, her body seeming to fail to be able to remain standing. Carol sank to the ground with her, both of them paying no mind to the dirt beneath them. "Sweetie- Rhiannon, stop." Carol wrapped her arms around her as she once again tried to get up and leave. She could feel the young woman shaking in her arms, her breaths coming out in painful, tearful pants.

"Rhiannon…" Carol took a deep breath, looking for strength. "My husband, he used to...he was-"

"You don't have to tell me." Rhiannon interrupted her. She knew how hard it was to talk about. Hell, Rhiannon had _never_ talked about it so she didn't expect Carol to.

"All I'm saying is...You're not alone." The older woman pushed the strands of hair from her wet cheeks, using her thumb to wipe to tears away. "I understand that you don't want to talk about it but if you ever feeling ready to, I'll be here."

Rhiannon nodded and let out a deep breath, finally allowing herself to calm down. Her sobs had subsided and she was left with soft, silent cries. It was cathartic to finally let herself feel the pain and sadness of what she'd been through. Ever since it had happened she pushed it away, not allowing herself to ever cry about it. It hurt too much to let her emotions go.

"He was so sweet at first." She began, making Carol look at her tentatively, ready to stop her if she got too upset. "You know you hear these stories of women in abusive relationships and I always wondered why they stayed. It took me awhile to realize that I'd become one of those women I said I thought I'd never be. I guess you don't realize until It's happening to you." Rhiannon paused, letting out a shaky breath. She tried desperately to keep herself in check.

"I always thought to myself that I'd never be that girl, that I'd be smart enough not to let anyone hurt me like that. But it's not about not being smart. I knew if I left, if I stood up to him It'd be so much worse." Her voice was a small whisper.

"I thought the same too. I never expected myself to be so weak." Carol spoke wearily, her emotions bubbling over the surface.

"Carol, you're not weak. You're still here. You got out and you're moving on. It takes a strong person to do that."

Carol looked up at her with a small smirk. "So what does that make you? You're still here and you're moving on too."

Rhiannon suddenly looked uncomfortable as she looked up at Carol with an incredulous look on her face.

"What, you don't believe it?"

"We should go back inside." Rhiannon suddenly spoke, taking her hands out of Carol's grasp and standing. She grabbed her sword from the ground and began to walk back to the house. The older woman sighed in defeat and stood, following the hurt woman.

Rhiannon stopped in the doorway, turning as Carol came up the steps. She gave her a slow nod, silently thanking her while simultaneously asking her to remember to keep quiet. Carol nodded back, reassuring her that her secret was safe.

She watched as Carol walked back into the kitchen. She didn't feel like dealing with anyone else right now so she stayed behind. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes, their conversation running through her head. _What does that make you?_ Carol's words made her wince involuntarily. She had never thought of herself as a strong person. The scars she carried with her everyday were reminders that she wasn't strong enough to stop it from happening. They made her feel weak.

"Rhi?" She suddenly turned, seeing Beth walk towards her. "Have you been crying? What's wrong?" Her younger sister rushed to her with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine, just stressed."

Beth looked unconvinced but decided to let it go, knowing she could never force her sister to divulge her secrets. "Ok. I guess I'll see you at dinner." She shrugged, the hurt evident in her voice as she started to walk away.

"Beth, wait." Rhiannon stopped her baby sister and wrapped her into a tight hug. Beth was stunned for a moment before she let out a small, delighted laugh and hugged her back twice as hard.

Rhiannon was torn between telling her not to worry and telling her the hard truth. Talking to Carol had been nice, she actually felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, albeit, a small one, but it was still progress.

Rhiannon's whirlwind of thoughts crashed to a stop at the loud crack of a gunshot.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait! I'm really not feeling this chapter, I rewrote it so many times but I'm still not really happy with it. A huge thank you to everyone that's followed and favourited this story! I would love your feedback, tell me if there's something you really wanna see happen or if you have any criticism, I would really appreciate it! By the way, the song mentioned at the beginning is Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac and it is literally my favourite song of all time. The story about that song is true, I think I used a direct quote from the songwriter when explaining it. Coming up is some more Daryl and Rhiannon bonding and some creepy ass Shane.**

 **Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

"Fuck." Was all that came out of Rhiannon Greene's mouth as she watched an unconscious Daryl get dragged to the house.

She felt her heart fall to her stomach at the sight of him. His limp body was covered in dirt and grime. A large blood stain was slowly growing on his side and his hair was matted with blood on his left temple.

"W-what happened?" She gasped, her hand reaching out to touch him but she hesitated and let it fall to her side in a clenched fist after noticing all the people around.

"He was shot." Rick panted. "It's just a graze, he'll be ok." He added quickly after seeing her eyes widen in fear.

"Shot? How did-why-?" Rhiannon stuttered breathlessly. Her mind was a jumbled mess. All she could concentrate on was the wounded man in front of her. All the anger she felt towards him was forgotten.

"I thought he was a walker." Andrea spoke up, guilt contorting her features.

"It was an accident." Dale spoke comfortingly, placing a hand on the woman's shoulders.

"You shot him? Seriously? What the fuck were you thinking?"

Andrea's timid expression suddenly turned to fierce anger. She stepped towards Rhiannon, placing her hands on her hips. "I was protecting the group."

"Really? By drawing in every walker within a mile with that gunshot?"

Andrea opened her mouth to argue but closed it quickly. She knew Rhiannon was right, there was no way to argue that. The oldest Greene daughter turned her back and quickly made her way up to the porch and inside the house, seeing that they'd already brought Daryl in.

She saw them hesitate at the guest bedroom. Carl was still in there.

"You can take him to my room." She spoke quickly, too quickly for her to register what she was offering. She didn't even have time to brush Beth off as she gave her a side look with her eyebrows raised.

Hershel looked at his daughter in surprise. He was confused to say the least. Maggie and her strange connection with Glenn made him weary and now he had to worry about Rhiannon and Daryl. The worry in his daughter's eyes was a clear indication that she cared about the man. That certainly didn't settle well with him.

Rhiannon walked behind Rick and Shane as they hoisted Daryl up the stairs. This time she had no shame in placing a hand on his back. She was sure both of the men could handle the weight of the unconscious man but she didn't care. She fooled herself into thinking this was just her way of helping.

"It's the door on the left." She directed them. She was about to follow them into the room but her Dad moved around her to step inside. She saw the tense look on his face which rooted her to her spot in the hallway. Deciding not add fuel to the fire, she stayed outside. She didn't want to give her a Dad a reason to lecture her, or worse, give her 'the talk'.

"Come on, why don't you sit down." Carol smiled warmly at her, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her down the stairs. "He'll be fine." She whispered, smiling at her like she knew a deep secret.

Rhiannon looked up at her wearily. She understood what Carol was insinuating but she didn't know how she could possibly know the thoughts running through her head where it concerned the redneck.

"Rhiannon, the world ended. You don't have time to deny your feelings."

"My feelings?" Rhiannon scoffed in surprise. "Daryl and I are just friends, maybe even less. I don't even think he tolerates me."

Carol narrowed her eyes at her playfully. "I thought we already talked about this. Daryl cares about you. I don't know what you did to him but he's different with you."

Rhiannon looked pensive, like the thoughts in her head were too complex for her to even think about. Carol grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly. "Sweetie, I spent so much of my time settling for a man I didn't love. Don't waste your time. The world's gone to hell, may as well make something good of it." She spoke, motioning her head up the stairs to where the man in question was.

Rhiannon sighed in defeat and shook her head. "I don't even know what I feel. It's just a stupid schoolgirl crush." She shrugged and sighed again when she noticed the look on Carol's face. She was urging her to tell more. "I've never let anyone get close to me, but for some reason I feel so comfortable talking to him. I feel like I could tell him anything."

"I can't tell you how you feel, but that certainly doesn't sound like just a crush." Carol gave her hand one last reassuring squeeze before she made her way back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

Rhiannon tapped her fingers against her thigh, contemplating her decision. She quickly stood up and began to make her way up the stairs, she had to see him, to make sure he was ok.

"Rhi, I need to talk to you." Maggie grabbed her arm making her jump. She hadn't even noticed her sister approaching. That damn guy was so distracting. Maggie dragged her out the door and the sisters began walking down the gravel driveway.

"What the hell's going on?"

"Daddy's not happy about this."

"About what, getting dinner made for him?" Rhiannon asked sarcastically. Maggie gave her an irritated look and ran a hand over her face,

"Rhiannon, this is serious! Daddy told me not to get close to them, he's says they're not stayin' here too much longer. You need to talk to him, he'll listen to you." Maggie yelled frantically as she paced in front of her.

Rhiannon scoffed. "Yeah, he's gonna listen to his daughter that's done nothing but rebel all her life. Do you think we could get Beth to do it?" It wouldn't be the first time the two of them used their youngest sister to manipulate their dad to get what they wanted. She was so innocent, their Dad folded every time.

"No, we've done that too many times. He's gonna catch on." Maggie continued to pace stressfully. "What the hell are we gonna do? Dad's gonna kick them out!"

"Maggie! You have to calm down." Rhiannon grabbed her hands, stopping her and making her look at her. "I told you I'd talk to him and I will. Dad's naive, he doesn't realize there's safety in numbers. And he's probably just bitter about the thought of you and Glenn together. You know how he gets about boyfriends."

Maggie let out a deep breath and nodded, trusting that her sister could take care of it. Her face suddenly scrunched in confusion as she thought over what she'd just said. "Glenn isn't my boyfriend."

"Clearly, not after what I heard this morning."

Maggie's face flushed. Her mouth hung open as she looked in horror at Rhiannon. "You heard that?" She whispered, now looking down at her shoes to avoid seeing the smirk on her sister's face that showed just how happy she was to see her so embarrassed.

"Oh yeah, heard everything. You never told me Glenn was a minute man."

"Oh my god." Maggie muttered, putting her head in her hands. "I-I was just doing what _you_ taught me!" She defended herself, only to scowl as her sister laughed at her harder.

"I know and that's what I told him." Rhiannon said once she'd calmed down. Maggie eyed her suspiciously. "Maggie, that guys like you, a lot. He's nice and I honestly don't think you'd be able to score a better guy in the apocalypse. I say go for it."

 _Way to be a hypocritical bitch,_ she chastised herself.

"I know." Maggie smiled shyly. "Thanks." She hugged her tightly, finally allowing herself to relax.

The pair walked back to the house in silence, each of them worrying over how the situation would unfold. And Rhiannon was desperate to know about Daryl but she would never tell her sister that. She teased her enough about Glenn, she didn't want that thrown back in her face.

"I'm gonna help with dinner." Maggie told her.

Rhiannon nodded and watched her go. Her mind was now solely on Daryl. She slowly made her way up the stairs, trying to seem like she wasn't too eager. She rolled her eyes at herself, _there's no one even watching me_. Rhiannon never cared what people thought but now Daryl was making her paranoid.

Before she made it to her room, Rick was storming down the hall, his shoulders rigid and tense. He stopped, seeing her, and his body relaxed slightly.

"He's fine. He's just resting now." He told her before she could ask. Rhiannon nodded silently, watching Rick as he slumped against the wall. He looked absolutely exhausted.

"You know, being the leader doesn't mean you have to take on everything by yourself."

Rick looked up in surprise. He watched as the young woman leaned against the wall across from him. He quickly looked away, avoiding her eyes. He had a feeling she could get him to tell her anything and everything about his life. She had some kind of natural talent for that.

He raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking her to continue. "You're stressing out when you don't have to. This is a good group of people," _Shane excluded,_ she decided not to say but she sure as hell was thinking it. "You have strong, capable people surrounding you. I'm sure they're more than willing to help you carry the burden."

Rick ran a hand over his tired face. "Shane thinks we should stop the search." He looked to Rhiannon, assessing her reaction. He'd noticed how she was closed off around his partner.

He felt like he'd already stretched the boundaries the night before when she'd told him about her close encounters when she was alone. He knew she wouldn't have told him that if he didn't pry which made him feel like he'd taken advantage of her somehow. There was no way he could ask her about Shane, not yet.

Rhiannon could feel his intense gaze studying her. _Yep, he was definitely a cop._ She knew she couldn't hide her real feelings if she talked about Shane so she passed over the topic of the creep. "And what do you think?"

"I think we're getting close. Daryl found her doll, it cuts the search grid in half." He shrugged. "You're the one who'd be out there looking, what do you think?"

"I think that I'd never be able to look Carol in the eye if I gave up on her daughter. Even if Sophia...isn't..alive-" She took in a shuddering breath, images of the little girl in New York flashing in her mind. "She'd need closure. A place where she could mourn and move past her grief."

Rick nodded thoughtfully, thankful that she'd given him a straight answer, something Lori refused to do. He didn't understand why his wife was playing both sides.

"It's a missing kid. If it was Carl you'd never stop looking."

"You're right." Rick suddenly let out a breathy laugh. "You've given me better advice in two days than Shane has in a week."

Rhiannon couldn't help the victorious smile from growing. But she couldn't let Rick know how happy it made her that that asshole was finally showing how much of a douchebag he could be. "It's always harder to live with your best friends than to live with strangers." She shrugged, trying to look casual.

"I don't consider you a stranger." Rick said without hesitation. She gave him a shy smile and laughed.

"You don't even know my birthday."

Rick laughed, crossing his arms across his chest. "No, but I _do_ know that that's you in the ladybug costume." He said, pointing to the picture frame beside her head.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she spun on her heels. A loud groan escaped her lips when she saw the old picture of her first year in dance class. "Great, now I gotta take all the pictures down." She muttered making Rick laugh at her again.

* * *

Rhiannon scurried into the dining room and blushed when she noticed everyone was already sitting and shoveling food onto their plates. She snorted when she saw Maggie, Beth, Jimmy, and Glenn at a separate table off to the side.

She happily slid into her seat next to her Dad who was at the head of the table, and Dale on her left. He greeted her with a smile as she sat down.

"Well, look who gets to sit at the adult table." She spoke cheerily. Amused smiles were passed around at her teasing tone. "You having fun over there, kids?" She said, smiling wickedly at the glare Maggie sent her.

Her Dad sent her a warning look. "Oh come on, is it or is it not the kids table?"

Everyone at the table stifled their laughter except T-Dog who laughed loudly and pointed at Glenn who just glared at him in response. Rhiannon laughed and sent a sarcastic smile to her sisters. She turned her head and saw her Dad looking at with that scolding look she'd seen _many_ times. Her laughter faded and she suddenly looked worried.

"Please let me stay at this table." She pleaded.

Hershel cracked a smile at his daughter and shook his head, going back to eating dinner and the table went back to silence. Rick sent Rhiannon a smile, he was grateful that she was still able to laugh and joke like in the old world despite everything she'd been through. His eyes travelled to Shane and he frowned slightly as he noticed him leaned back in his chair, his head turned to look at her. Rick could swear the look in his eyes was predatory.

He'd seen the signs before, Shane was clearly attracted to the oldest Greene daughter but this seemed like something else entirely. He knew Shane wasn't like _that,_ he'd never hurt a woman. But the look he saw in his eye said something else entirely.

He'd have to remember to keep an eye on that.

Dinner was over quickly and of course, Rhiannon was left to do dishes with her sisters. Apparently it was her punishment for her stupid joke.

"So what did it say in the note?" Rhiannon piped up, causing Maggie to sigh and roll her eyes.

"Of course you noticed that." She mumbled. Beth laughed at both of them, she tended to stay out of the teasing and pranks that went on among her older sisters.

"So...Where are you guys gonna be doing it tonight?" Maggie almost dropped the plate she was holding and sent a startled look to Rhiannon. "What? I need to know so I can avoid that place."

Rhiannon smirked triumphantly at the annoyed look on her face. She finished drying the plate and went up on her tiptoes to put it away in the cupboard. Maggie came up behind her, taking the plate from her hands. "Don't worry, little one, I got this." She said, a pleased smile on her face as she effortlessly put the plate back.

Rhiannon scowled at her before shrugging her off. "Oh well, at least Dad didn't catch me pretty much sexting with my minute man boyfriend."

Beth's eyes went wide, suddenly feeling the need to scurry out of the room.

"At least I don't need a stool to do the dishes." Maggie countered without hesitation.

Rhiannon gasped dramatically and narrowed her eyes at her. "You bitch."

Maggie put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "I learned from the best."

"Mhmm." Rhiannon pushed her away playfully. "We can finish this, go have sex with your boyfriend."

"You guys are so annoying." Beth interjected, rolling her eyes at them. Rhiannon bumped her hips with hers and threw the tea towel she was holding at her. "You dry, I'll wash."

Maggie suddenly sprinted out of the kitchen without a goodbye. Rhiannon and Beth watched her go with confused looks.

"What was that about?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "I guess Glenn's really good in bed."

"Rhiannon!" Beth yelled, her cheeks going red.

"Oh, don't be such a prude."

* * *

Daryl laid in bed, _her_ bed he was told. Did it make him a creep that he felt a little turned on at that? Probably.

He craned his neck to see the framed picture on the beside table for what was probably the tenth time. A smile involuntarily graced his usually hard features at the sight of a young Rhiannon and who he assumed was Maggie dressed up as princesses on halloween.

He turned his body slightly, wincing at the pull in his side, to stare at the door. He'd been wondering why she hadn't come in. He'd been there for hours and even Carol had come to see him.

 _You're every bit as good as them._

He inwardly scoffed at the woman's words. If he was such a great man like Rick and Shane he wouldn't have been such an ass to a girl who did nothing wrong.

He looked around her room, wishing he could get up to see the pictures on the dresser in the far corner. He noticed an old stereo with a pile of cassette tapes next to it. He gave a small laugh at that. If he wasn't so damaged they might actually end up being good friends.

Who was he kidding? He could never be friends with her, not with that voice in the back of his head that kept reminding him how beautiful she was. That would complicate things for sure.

A soft knock at the door startled him. He immediately pulled the blanket up to his shoulders as Rhiannon poked her head in.

"Hey. Sorry, were you sleeping?"

"Nah."

Rhiannon walked in and closed the door behind her. Daryl tried to ignore the way his heart beat faster at that.

"You were tryin' to warn me 'bout the horse, right?" Daryl spoke up making her look at him with a puzzled expression. "Today, when I yelled at you. You were gonna tell me to take a different horse."

She nodded, a guilty look on her face. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why would you be apologizin'?"

"Because I was mad at you and I wanted Nelly to throw you on your ass. If I knew you'd be a total clutz about it I would've tried harder to stop you."

Daryl scoffed. "I didn't exactly make it easy for you."

Rhiannon eyed him thoughtfully and sat on the edge of the bed making Daryl shift his body further away. It was just too much for him to have her sitting on the bed he was in. _Like a fucking teenager,_ he scolded himself.

"Is this how it's gonna be with us? You yell at me and storm off and later you apologize and we end up having a good time together but then you freak out that someone's getting close to you so you lash out again and we're caught in a vicious cycle."

Daryl was stunned to silence. He stared at her with wide eyes, his lips parted in surprise. He suspected she'd been aware of what he was trying to do but he never thought she'd ever be so open and brave to _tell_ him that.

"'M sorry. I can be a dick."

Rhiannon laughed. "Yeah, you can." Her smile faded as she looked at the gauze wrapped around his head. "Are you ok?"

Daryl shrugged flippantly. "M' head hurts." He mumbled.

"It's a good thing Andrea's a shit shot. This could've turned out a lot worse."

Daryl huffed out a laugh. "You sayin' I'm lucky?"

"In a sense." Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. "C'mon Dixon, you have to learn how to look on the bright side." She said and immediately burst out laughing at the look of disgust on his face.

"You do realize the next time you go past the fence I'm gonna be glued to your side. I don't think anyone would feel comfortable with you going by yourself, you'll need an escort at all times." She said sarcastically, reveling in the glare Daryl sent her way.

"Stop." He muttered.

"It's what's best for you. I mean, seriously, who falls on their own arrow? I'll babysit you to make sure you don't do something so idiotic again."

Rhiannon smiled even wider when she noticed Daryl smiling at her teasing. It felt like she was seeing the eighth wonder of the world, something so rare and wonderful that only she got the pleasure of seeing.

"Seriously though, I'm glad you're ok."

Daryl nodded at her and looked away. It was too intense for him to look her in the eye, he worried he'd say something embarrassing. "Dixon's are hard to kill." He shrugged making her laugh and in turn made him feel pride that he'd made her laugh.

"Of course you're too stubborn to let _the apocalypse_ take you out." She teased him. Her face turned thoughtful and she eyed him with a wicked smirk. "So does this civil conversation we're having mean you can be a mature adult and we can actually be friends?"

Daryl glared at her again, but it faded as the smile he was trying to hold back began to slip through. "Yeah, we can be friends."

She smiled widely at him leaving him feeling light headed and he knew it wasn't from the gunshot. He couldn't help the pit in the stomach he felt. _Just friends._

He'd just have to get over his attraction to her. He doubted it was possible but he figured it was worth a shot.

"Alright, well, I just came in here to get some clothes. I'm bunking with Beth tonight cause the invalid needs my bed."

Daryl pushed his leg out, gently nudging her. She stood, biting her lip to stifle her laugh. She practically skipped to her closet to pick out her clothes for the night.

"You a dancer?" Daryl asked, his eyes on her old pointe shoes that were hung on the closet door.

"Great work, Detective." She chided him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at her playfully, she sure had a hell of an attitude.

She walked back to the door, blushing as she felt his gaze on her. "Feel better, Clutz."

Daryl scoffed in amusement. "See ya later, Tinkerbell."

He could hear her laughter even after she closed the door behind her. He eyed the closed door for a moment before he slowly turned on his side, not even realizing the wide smile he had on his face.

* * *

Rhiannon wrung the water out of her hair. She would never be able to express how grateful she was that her Dad had thought to keep generators in the basement. The three weeks she went without a proper shower and hot water were horrible. She never realized how much she enjoyed them before.

She'd had a dopey grin on her face the whole time, her mind wandering to her conversation with Daryl.

Steam billowed around her as she opened the door. It had been a long day and all she wanted was to go to bed. She was thankful Beth wasn't a snorer.

Her body jumped, her back hitting the door jam as she spotted Shane leaning against the wall, a devious smirk on his face. "Sorry, were you waiting for the bathroom?"

"Nah, was waiting for you." He bit his lip, pushing himself off the wall to step closer to her.

Rhiannon was regretting the cotton shirts and tank top she was wearing, and not to mention the fact that she didn't have a bra on. She didn't fail to notice the way his leering gaze travelled up her bare legs to her chest.

She couldn't let him know how nervous he made her, she couldn't be weak in front of him. She rolled her eyes at him and continued down the hall. He quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. Her whole body tensed in response.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She snapped at him. He just smiled at her, it made her insides clench in fear.

"I see the way you look at me. I know you're...intimidated by me." His voice was low, practically a growl as his hand moved a strand of wet hair behind her ear. She shrunk back at his touch, her heart pounding in her chest. "I know you want me."

Rhiannon sobered from her fear and narrowed her eyes at him. "You think I want you? What gave it away, my obvious disgust that you're touching me right now?"

Her sarcasm only made him angry. His hand moved to the back of her neck and he started to squeeze tightly. Her breathing hitched but she wouldn't let her glare waver.

"I know men like you. You think you own me, that you'd be the best thing to ever happen to me, that you'd be the best fuck I'd ever have."

Shane only proceeded to laugh deeply, a vicious smirk on his face.

"I know you think you can get what you want but you're wrong. I don't care how hard you try, you won't break me."

Rhiannon swallowed thickly as he ran his hands down over her collarbone and travelled down the middle of her chest. She tried to ignore the way her hands trembled at her sides. Images of her abusive ex boyfriend flashed through her mind making her body shake even more.

"You know what I did to Otis, don't you?" He whispered in her ear, his hot breath on her neck made her feel sick. "You haven't told Rick, why?"

"Rick cares about you. For some reasons I'll never understand, he loves you like a brother and I don't want to be the one to hurt him by telling him his friend's a murderer. I'll wait until you mess up and Rick can realize what a waste of space you are on his own."

Rhiannon gasped as she was pushed back against the wall with a dull thud. Her chest rose and fell with each panting breath. She winced as Shane gripped onto her waist tightly.

"You got a smart mouth, don't you? Maybe I should put it to good use." Shane gently kissed her temple making her whimper softly. She stood still, her body tense as he pressed his hips against her. "I can take what I want. I could take you right here-" Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling against his.

"-But I won't. I wanna take you somewhere else where I can hear you scream my name."

She felt his hard length against her as he ground his hips against her. "You say anything about this or about Otis and next time I won't stop." He whispered, his hand squeezing her breast. He gave her a slimy smile and stepped back, keeping his eyes on her as he walked backwards down the hall.

Rhiannon let a few tears fall after he was finally out of sight. She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart as she tried to calm her breathing before she had a full fledged panic attack.

She began to slowly walk down the hall on shaking legs. She didn't want Beth to see her like this but all she wanted was to bury herself under a mound of blankets and sleep for days.

"Ow, fuck." A pained groan was heard behind her closed door where Daryl was supposed to be sleeping.

She furrowed her brows and opened the door. "What the hell are you doing? Get back in bed." She scolded him as he was trying to step out of her bed, his face contorted in pain.

"I'm gonna kill that fucker." Daryl growled through clenched teeth.

Rhiannon felt the blood drain from her face. He'd heard everything. She pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes, willing the stinging of tears to go away. Daryl let out another groan snapping her out of her shock.

"Let me go." He hissed as she put her hands on his shoulders to stop him.

"No! You have to stay in bed, you're gonna hurt yourself."

"He threatened to rape you!"

Rhiannon shushed him, slapping a hand over his mouth. He flinched away, grabbing her hand it pulling it always from his mouth. He had no shame in the fact the he didn't let go of her hand.

"Daryl you have to calm down. It's not a big deal, he's just trying to scare me."

"Not a big deal? Are you fucking kiddin' me?" He snapped, trying again to raise himself off the bed.

"He's not gonna do anything to me, ok?"

"Damn right he ain't. I'm gonna fuckin' kill him before he can even think of touchin' you again."

Rhiannon tried to ignore the butterflies she felt at his words. She sighed, slumping her shoulders. "As long as I don't rat him out, I don't give him a reason to come near me."

"You don't give him a reason? You know how fucked up that sounds? It's not your fault he's a fuckin' creep."

"Daryl, you need to calm down." She spoke softly, placing a hand on his chest that was practically vibrating with anger. He didn't even flinch at her touch this time, he was so angry, he barely registered it.

"He touch you?"

Rhiannon hesitated which only made Daryl narrow his eyes at her quizzically. There was no way she'd ever be able to keep it from him, he wouldn't stop until she told him. "A little, nothing too bad. He just shook me up."

Daryl's jaw clenched, his face going red in anger as he finally found the strength to stand fully out of bed.

"Don't!" Rhiannon scolded him, pushing against his shoulders. Daryl relented, his anger diminishing at the feel of her hands on his bare skin. He let her push him back and he quickly laid back, still feeling pissed at the thought of not bashing Shane's skull in. He let out a loud groan as he accidentally laid on his wounded side.

He quickly turned over, sighing in relief as the pressure was taken off of his wound. He heard a sharp intake of breath that made his blood go cold. His hands were a blur as he pulled up the sheet to cover up his scarred back.

Daryl's body was tense like a statue. He was readying himself to hear the slam of the door as she left the room. He turned his head slightly at the silence that followed. He quickly turned his head back once he realized she was still standing behind him. He refused to make eye contact with her, he didn't want to see the look of pity on her face.

"How long has it been since you took a pain pill?" Her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Couple'a hours" His voice was a low growl. He was more than a little confused, it wasn't what he expected her to say. He watched her come around to the other side of the bed where he was facing. He shrunk back slightly as she stood in front of him.

"Here, take another one." She handed him a pill and a glass of water that was left on the bedside table.

He swallowed the pill, handing her the glass back. Rhiannon took it without a word.

"You ain't gonna ask 'bout it?" He asked quietly, his voice gruff. He knew she'd seen them, the horrifying reminders of his terrible childhood.

"No. You obviously don't wanna talk about it, so I'm not gonna ask about it." She shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed. This time Daryl didn't move away.

He looked up at her in awe. She never failed to surprise him. "Why?"

She exhaled loudly, biting her lip. "A lot of people have scars they're ashamed of. I'm not gonna make you relive it."

Daryl watched her curiously, her words resonating in his head. Did they have a deeper meaning he didn't understand?

He nodded at her, grateful that he didn't have to tell her about his father and his awful past. He was glad he could get more time with her before he scared her away and she realized how damaged he was.

"Thanks for trying to protect me." She whispered, pushing her damp hair away from her face. Daryl just shrugged, avoiding her eyes as he felt his cheeks flush.

"Wasn't gonna let that happen to ya."

"I know. You're one of the good guys."

She smiled down at him. She didn't even know how to describe what she felt as they held eye contact. His eyes shifted down shyly and he smirked as he noticed something on her leg.

"That another tattoo?"

"Yep." She said casually, holding her leg out so he could get a better look at the little saturn tattoo she had on the side of her knee.

"Why'd you get it?"

"I got drunk after fighting with my dad. Wasn't my best moment but It's grown on me."

"I like it." Daryl mumbled. He had to stifle his grin when he noticed her blush. "You only got the three?" He'd seen the two she had on her inner bicep and forearm and now the newly discovered one.

"No, I have ten."

His eyes widened in surprise. She laughed at his expression making him blush. "They all drunk mistakes?"

She scoffed and shoved him gently as to not hurt him. "Only a few." She responded vaguely.

Daryl scowled at her bullshit answer. He obviously wanted more details. Rhiannon giggled. "I told you Dixon, I'm not telling you anymore about me until you tell me something about you."

He just groaned in response making her laugh. She eyed him for a moment, biting her lip. She couldn't even begin to describe how much she'd enjoyed her evening with him, despite everything Shane had done.

"I should go."

Daryl nodded and pulled the covers down as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Uhh, what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna walk you to your sister's room. Don't know where that asshole went, don't wanna risk it." Daryl told her, his eyes fierce as he thought again of what Shane had tried to do to her.

Rhiannon placed a hand on his bare chest to stop him. She could feel his heart beating rapidly beneath her palm. "I'll be fine." She whispered. He shook his head, refusing to let her go alone. "Daryl," She grabbed his hand and squeezed, making him look at her. "I can walk down the hall by myself." She laughed making his breath quicken.

He nodded silently, his eyes trained on hers like he was in a trance.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

He only nodded in response and immediately felt disappointment as she released her grip on his hand and stood from where she sat. His eyes trailed her as she walked out of the room. A harsh breath expelled from his lips after the door closed behind her and he was left alone.

He threw his arm over his eyes, his mind whirling with what had just happened. It was so strange for him that he enjoyed someone's company so much. He wasn't used to it. The relief he felt that she didn't push him to talk about his scars was overshadowed by the anxiety he felt that someone had seen them.

That feeling was even overshadowed by the intense anger he felt at that sleazeball Shane. His fists clenched at the thought of him and what he'd tried to do. He vowed he'd never let him touch her again. He'd never be able to live with himself if she got hurt and he couldn't stop it, especially if it was _him_ that had hurt her.

There was no way he'd ever let that happen to her.

* * *

 **Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one xx**


	8. Chapter 8

Rhiannon had yet another sleepless night. The encounter with Shane ran through her mind all night. She could think of nothing else and it made it impossible for her to relax. The moment she had with Daryl afterwards had eased her mind. She knew he'd protect her from Shane, but as soon as she'd left the room and found herself alone in the hallway where it'd happened, she found herself paralyzed with fear.

When her legs finally stopped shaking and she was able to move, she crept into Beth's room and was thankful to find her already asleep, though she was sure she didn't stay asleep with the way she'd been tossing and turning all night.

An annoyed groan escaped her lips as she felt Beth shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Rhiannon turned on her back, opening her eyes only to quickly shut them due to the sunlight that shone through the open curtains.

A frown quickly worked its way onto her features, she could feel Beth looking at her. Rhiannon opened her eyes and gave her sister a quizzical look, wondering why she was looking at her with a pained expression.

"What's up, Beth, you ok?"

Beth nodded and suddenly averted her gaze and instead opted to look at her fingers that ran along the sheets below them. Rhiannon frowned deeper and propped herself up on her elbows.

"You had another nightmare last night." Beth told her, still refusing to look at her. "It wasn't as bad as the other ones, you were just whimpering a little. Still scared me though."

Rhiannon sighed angrily, running a hand over her face tiredly. She hated that her sister had to see her go through this, especially someone as innocent as Beth who Rhiannon wanted to shelter completely from this horrible world.

"Your nightmares, are they all about what happened to you out there?" Beth asked tentatively making Rhiannon look up at her in surprise.

She didn't think she could get any words out so she just nodded slowly. There was no way she could continue to avoid it, it was obvious her family could tell she was different after her time by herself.

"You don't have to tell me what they're about." The youngest Greene sister quickly spoke after seeing the distress on her sister's face. "I just- you're ok right? Whatever happened to you out there...you're ok?"

Rhiannon felt like crying at the sadness in Beth's voice. She reached out to grab her hand and squeezed tightly. "I'm ok, I promise. I'm just a little shook up about being out there but it's nothing I can't get past. I just need some time."

Beth nodded and sniffled, wiping under her eyes. Before Rhiannon could blink Beth had thrown herself into her arms. She smiled weakly, wrapping her arms around her baby sister, holding her tightly.

"You kept me going. There were so many times when I didn't think I'd be able to make it but I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing you or Maggie or Dad again."

Beth held her tighter, to the point where Rhiannon felt it was hard to breathe. "I'm ok." She whispered into her hair. Beth nodded against her shoulder and finally pulled away.

"I wanna learn how to shoot. I can't rely on everyone else to protect me. I wanna be like you."

Rhiannon gaped at her sister for a couple of seconds before it turned into a proud smile. "I'll talk to dad about it, but don't get your hopes up. You know how strict he is about this stuff."

Beth nodded, a serious look on her face for only a second until it got trumped by the excited smile she could barely contain. She always had trouble not getting her hopes up.

"C'mon." Rhiannon finally pushed herself out of bed and gave Beth a kiss on the head as she passed to leave.

Her smile faded as soon as the door closed behind her and she was back in the hallway that she was sure would haunt her forever. Forcing herself to move past her fear, she continued down the hall to her room. The giddy feeling in her stomach at the thought of seeing him was hard to ignore. After what had happened last night she felt like her bond with Daryl was even greater. She knocked before entering and immediately frowned when she saw the room was empty. He must've left at the crack of dawn.

Rhiannon sighed and slowly got dressed, her motions working on autopilot. Looking down at the worn Metallica shirt she wore, she smirked, knowing Daryl would have some comment to make about it. She slung her sword over her shoulder and made her way out of her room and down the stairs to find her family sitting at the table for breakfast.

It was unusually quiet and tense. Maggie refused to look at anyone and had an irritated look on her face. Her Dad didn't talk, it was like he knew if the conversations started he'd end up having one he didn't want to have. He knew his girls weren't happy that he wanted the group gone.

After the awkward meal was done, everyone started going their separate ways. Rhiannon stood quickly and followed Maggie as she started to make her way up the stairs, probably to hide away for the rest of the day to avoid everyone.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm fine." Maggie snapped at her making her flinch. Her sister had never talked to her like that, she'd always been the one to calm _her_ down, she was never the one to flip out.

"Really? Cause you've been tense since last night. Haven't really been acting like yourself."

Maggie just sighed in annoyance and continued up the stairs, ignoring her sister behind her who was trying to get her attention.

"Maggie! What the hell's going on with you?"

"Nothing! Jesus, would you just let it go?"

"Not when you're acting like this. You know you can tell me anything." Rhiannon told her softly which only seemed to make her angrier as she spun on her heel and glared at her deeply.

"Are you fucking kiddin' me?! I've been telling you that since you got back and you haven't told me shit! Now I'm supposed to tell you everything?"

Rhiannon stepped back as Maggie yelled at her. Her sister had never talked to her like this in her life. Sure they've fought before but it was always petty arguing over stupid shit like stealing clothes. It had never been this serious.

"God, this is classic Rhiannon, it's always what you want. Dad's always had to cater to you cause you couldn't just follow the rules. And here we are doin' it again. We're supposed to just nod and move on every time you brush us off but I'm not allowed to keep quiet about one damn thing. I'm fucing sick of it." Maggie sneered at her, letting out a deep breath after her rant.

The silence between the two sisters was tense. Maggie looked up at Rhiannon and couldn't help but feel guilty at the betrayed look on her face. She'd gone too far, she knew she had but she just couldn't stop herself from exploding. She didn't mean what she said. Obviously the secrets Rhiannon was keeping were a lot heavier than the one secret she was keeping from her, the one her whole family had agreed to keep from her.

"Rhi, I-"

"Don't. It's fine." Rhiannon cut her off and rapidly made her way down the stairs away from Maggie.

"Everything ok, I heard yelling."

Rhiannon jumped, placing a hand over her chest as she noticed her father walking towards her. "Everything's fine, we just had a little fight."

"I guess you girls were due for one, this has probably been the longest you've gone without one." Her father joked but his playful expression faded when he noticed that she hadn't even cracked a smile. "What's going on baby girl?"

"Are you really gonna throw these people out on their asses?" Rhiannon asked bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel sent her a warning look. He sat at the table and motioned for her to sit which she did reluctantly. She knew that meant she was in for a drawn out argument she didn't want.

"You didn't seem too keen on having them here in the first place, why the change of heart?"

"It doesn't take long to get attached, especially in this new world."

Hershel eyed her curiously, leaning back in his seat across from her. "Why do you keep saying 'the new world'? You don't have any hope that this problem will get solved?"

"Absolutely not." Rhiannon immediately sighed in defeat at the expression on her Dad's face. He obviously didn't agree with her. "Dad, we need more people. We can't defend this place with just us. Beth, Patricia, and Jimmy don't even know how to shoot. If we get a group of these things here, we can't just use baseball bats. We need help. Rick's group can help us, they can make us stronger."

"So you think we need them for an army?" He asked with sarcasm making her nostrils flare in anger. Hershel sighed, he knew the signs of her anger, they hadn't changed since she was a rebellious child.

"So to speak. The only way we survive is by training ourselves to always be ready for a fight."

"I don't agree. This is _our_ home, we can defend it just fine. The boy is fit for travel, there's nothing keeping them here."

"There's a missing girl." She spoke harshly, looking at her dad in disbelief as he only kept quiet, refusing to say anything else. Rhiannon ran her hands through her hair and pulled slightly. Her elbows rested on the table and she hung her head. "Can you really live with yourself knowing you're sending all those people to their death."

"You handled it out there. I'm sure they can too."

Rhiannon gaped at her father with tears in her eyes. Hershel immediately felt dread at the broken look on her face. He reached for her hand but she pulled away and stood from her seat. Did he really think getting no sleep because she was scared of the memories she'd see when she closed her eyes was her _handling it?_

"Maybe I'll go with them, since I can handle it fine." She spoke emotionlessly making her father wince in response. He stood, contemplating trying to stop her. "Beth, Patricia, and Jimmy are going to gun training today. I don't care if you don't agree, they have to learn."

Rhiannon left the room without a look back. Hershel slowly sank back into his seat and sighed deeply, squeezing his eyes shut. He'd really messed up.

* * *

Rhiannon waved to Beth who gave her an excited smile. She sat in the backseat of the car, ready to go to gun training with the others.

"You sure you don't wanna come along?" Rick asked her. She shook her head.

"No, I gotta look for Sophia today."

Rick gave her a grateful look, placing a hand on her shoulder. His face crumpled in confusion as he noticed her body beginning to tense. Suddenly Shane walked up from behind him.

"She doesn't need the training, she's a hell of a shot. Saved my ass out there, gave me n' Otis a way out." Shane smiled at her, his eyes warning her to keep her mouth shut. It was like he was testing her by mentioning the man he'd left for dead and the secret he'd threatened her with.

Rick's eyes looked back and forth between Shane and Rhiannon, a puzzled look on his face. He couldn't understand what could've happened between them that made the young woman look at his partner which such fear. He'd have to remember to ask Shane about that.

"So Carl's going out today?" She spoke up, trying to move past Rick's questioning gaze. Rick nodded, a hesitant look on his face, he knew she was trying to change the subject. "How's he doing? He in any pain?"

"Not too bad considering, we're slowly weaning him off the painkillers. He's actually been asking for more of that tea." Rick gave her a teasing smile. He'd seen the way his son blushed every time Rhiannon talked to him, he found it adorable.

Carl suddenly came from behind his father, a wide smile on his face. "Hi Rhiannon!"

"Hey, Carl. I have a little bet for you." Carl shared an excited look with his dad before turning back to the blonde woman. "If you hit five targets I will make you as much tea as you want."

"Deal."

Rhiannon high fived him as he walked past her to get into the car. Rick had a huge smile on her face and mouthed 'thank you' to her.

"We should get goin'" Shane interjected making her smile disappear which she was sure Rick noticed.

"Good luck teaching Beth." She teased, looking straight at Rick. She didn't even want to think about Shane teaching her, putting his hands on her. Him being in her presence was bad enough.

Rick nodded but he was still looking at her with questioning eyes. "Good luck with the search." He waved to her as she walked off.

A deep breath left her lips as she was finally away from Shane. Her stride faltered as she neared Daryl's tent. She noticed the flap was open and decided that was a good enough invitation for her to go in. Her steps slowed as she was suddenly nervous about seeing him again. _Such a child,_ she scolded herself. He was just a guy, her _friend._

Rhiannon poked her head in, a smile on her face as she saw him lying on his sleeping bag, lazily playing with an arrow. He sat up on his elbows, trying to hide his wince.

"The hell did Shane want?" He asked angrily before she could even say hi.

"Nothing. He just told Rick that I was a good shot." She shrugged, a look of disgust on her face. She'd have that look on her face every time Shane was mentioned, no matter the circumstances.

"Is that right?" Daryl quirked an eyebrow at her, his anger now seemingly completely gone. Rhiannon tried to quell her smile, _was Daryl flirting with me?_

The smile didn't last long and she gave a half hearted laugh, her stress level was so high right now, not even Daryl could make it go away. He seemed to notice her unusually quiet demeanor, she didn't even make a snippy comeback.

"You alright?" He said with concern, surprising the both of them.

She shrugged, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. "Things are pretty tense right now."

Daryl scoffed. "Yeah, no fuckin' kidding."

"No, it's not about Shane, even though he certainly isn't helping."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking her to keep talking. This would usually be when she would tell him it goes both ways and she wouldn't tell him anymore until _he_ told her something about his life. But she didn't, she felt like she could actually tell him about her problems without feeling embarrassed.

"My dad wants you guys to leave." She mumbled.

"Figured he wasn't happy 'bout us bein' here. When do leave?"

Rhiannon shook her head. "I'm not gonna let him kick you out. It's not fair. I tried to talk to him about it but I don't think it helped."

Daryl didn't know what to say to her. He didn't want to leave the farm, he didn't want to leave her, not when he was finally learning to let go of his insecurities and for the first time in his life was considering letting someone in.

Rhiannon sighed, she could tell she wasn't going to get any helpful advice from Daryl. He definitely didn't seem like the warm natured friend who loves to sit and talk out their problems. "I should get going."

"Where you goin'?"

"I'm gonna go look for Sophia." She stated simply.

"Who's goin' with you?"

Rhiannon looked at him blankly. "No one." She mumbled, suddenly feeling like she'd done something wrong. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her and sat up from his bed, stifling a wince as he wrapped an arm around his torso for support.

"Nah, you ain't goin' alone."

Rhiannon blushed deeply at his obvious concern. "Daryl, I'll be fine. I won't be too long. There's a cabin near the creek where you found her doll. If I don't find anything I'll come right back and wait till you're better so we can both go out further."

Daryl glared at her, it was a perfectly reasonable explanation but he still didn't like it. The sight of her big brown eyes staring at him broke him easily though and he sighed in defeat. "Take this." He voice was gruff as he reached for his hunting knife that lay beside his crossbow.

"I don't need it, I have my own." Rhiannon said in confusion, kicking out her leg slightly to where she kept her knife hidden, the handle sticking out the top of her boots.

"Just take it n'case you lose yours or can't get to it." He shrugged, hoping his protectiveness didn't scare her off or give her any hints as to what he thought of her.

Rhiannon bit her lip to keep from smiling too wide. She knew he was embarrassed by his caring gesture, she didn't want to make it worse. "Thanks." She whispered, not trusting her voice to be any louder. Daryl literally stole her breath away.

She stood and made her way out of his tent. Turning to say goodbye she noticed him fidgeting, an agonized look on his face. "Hey, I'll be ok out there."

Daryl turned to her, a faint blush on his cheeks at being caught caring. But amazingly, he chose not to push her away. "I know you will."

If Rhiannon wasn't swooning before, she certainly was now.

She smiled at him one last time and reluctantly walked away from his tent. _Alright, time to focus,_ she told herself as she walked past the tree line and disappeared from the view of camp. She forced the confusing thoughts of Daryl and her family from her mind. They'd all be pissed if she died because she was too stupid to pay attention.

The more she thought of the conversation with her sister and her dad the angrier she got. She knew she'd made some mistakes throughout her childhood and her teenage years but she never expected it to get thrown back in her face, especially by her sister who knew how unhappy she'd been with certain aspects of her life.

And her Dad who was so naive about the world and what she went through, granted she never told him about what she'd experienced on the road but she knew it was obvious to everyone that whatever happened definitely wasn't anything good. That should've been enough for him to know to never say anything about it.

The only good thing that had been in her mind was Daryl. Surprisingly he'd been the most caring person she'd talked to today. As history would suggest, at this point of the day they'd usually be avoiding each other after he blew up at her. It was huge progress in her mind.

The walk to the hunting cabin past the creek was hours long. It was a great way for her to clear her head. The solitude and quiet was a nice change from the fast paced, loud and busy city she was used to.

She finally arrived at the creek where Daryl had found her doll. She knew she wasn't in the exact same spot, there was no cliff where he'd fallen, she'd gone more west than he had to stay closer to the cabin she was looking for.

"Sophia!" Rhiannon yelled, looking around at the empty forest around her. She kept calling out to the little girl, hoping she'd hear a response. It was hard to not have at least a little doubt at this point. It'd been a week, the odds weren't good but that still wasn't enough to stop her from looking.

The thought of the people she'd failed since this hell started was enough to keep her going.

"Sophia!"

Her voice echoed through the trees followed by silence making her sigh in defeat. She started to walk further when she heard the unmistakable sound of leaves crunching under footsteps. Her heart stopped, she didn't know if she was feeling fear or excitement. _Is it her?_

Rhiannon carefully walked through the thicket of trees towards where the sound had come from.

"I told you I heard something. There's a girl out here."

The unfamiliar male voice made her freeze. It was closer than she expected. The sound of their heavy footsteps against the forest floor grew louder the closer they got to her. Curses were yelled in her mind.

She stepped lightly, moving to the side, out of their path. She crouched behind a pile of boulders that stood by the edge of the small creek. _So fucking happy I decided to be a dancer,_ she thought to herself as she was able to move with silent footsteps and contort her body as small as possible so they wouldn't see her.

"I don't see anything, man."

Her breathing hitched, they were practically right in front of her now.

"You sure you heard a girl or are you just that desperate for pussy you started imagining one?"

"Shut the fuck up Tony."

"If we do find her, you better share."

Rhiannon didn't like the sound of that. She grit her teeth so hard she worried they'd crack. Their footsteps eventually faded as they walked further away from where she'd been hiding. Hours passed until she finally stood from behind the boulder, she needed to be absolutely sure they were gone before she moved.

A shaking hand ran through her hair that was damp at the roots with sweat. All she wanted to do was run back to her house, maybe even hide out in Daryl's tent but she couldn't ignore the enormous feeling of guilt at the thought of giving up on the search for Sophia. She had to keep going, even if it scared the shit out of her.

She spared a look over her shoulder almost every five seconds as she walked further from her home. She paused every couple of minutes to stand in silence, looking out for any suspicious noises or signs of those men that could very well be following her.

The sight of the cabin she'd been looking for did little to settle her nerves. She was truly shaken and she was sure not even finding Sophia would dwell her fear.

Rhiannon slowly crept into the abandoned cabin, pulling her sword from its sheath. The low growling sound was heard from one of the rooms off to the side. She took a deep breath and quickly made her way into the room, her sword taking out two walkers with ease. She scanned the room but there were no other threats.

The walkers meant that no one had been here but there was still one thing that could mean. Sophia could've come looking for shelter and had been cornered by these monsters. Rhiannon slowly stepped closer to the corpses on the floor. She knew they were dead for good but it was still eerie to see them up close.

There was no blood on either of their mouths, they hadn't fed. Rhiannon let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she wasn't looking for a dead child.

Her gaze shifted to the pictures on the wall. A feeling of dread washed over her as she looked at the smiling faces of the poor family whose lives had been ruined. A frown spread on her face, there were four people in the picture, but she'd only seen two walkers. Where was the dad and daughter?

Rhiannon walked out of the room, her hands gripping the handle of her sword. She walked down the narrow hall, her heart pounding in her chest. She worried the walkers would be able to hear it.

A growl was heard behind the door on her left. Rhiannon took a calming breath and turned the knob. Her brows furrowed when she didn't see anything in the room. The second she walked in further, cold hands gripped her arms. The walker had been behind the open door.

Rhiannon stumbled back, pushing her hands against the teenage girl's shoulders to push her off. The walker hit the wall and a second later her sword was pushed through its eye, the hilt of her weapon hitting the plaster behind it.

A growling moan was heard behind her. Rhiannon pulled at her sword but it wouldn't budge, it was stuck in the wall. A groan left her lips as she pulled with all her might but her weapon was stuck.

She yelped as she found herself being knocked down to the ground. The snapping jaws of the dad turned walker above her were only inches away from biting her. Her hand pushed at the walker's chest while the other tried to reach for her knife that was tucked into her boot. She couldn't reach it.

"Fuck!" She yelled in desperation, feeling her arm beginning to shake with the strength she was using. Her breathing stopped when she finally remembered her last option.

Daryl's knife.

Rhiannon slide her hand down to her waist where she kept the knife he'd let her borrow. She quickly stabbed the walker in the side of the head, blood splattering across her neck and chest. Her arms immediately gave out at the dead weight above her. The dead body collapsed against her making her wince in disgust.

She crawled out from under the body with a grunt of exertion and flopped back onto the floor, her chest heaving.

There had been too many close calls today.

Rhiannon lay next to the two dead walkers while she caught her breath and even longer after. She needed a fucking break.

She didn't know how much time had passed but when she looked out the window and noticed the sun beginning to set, she knew she needed to get back fast. She didn't want to be out in the woods at night, especially knowing there were bad men out there desperate to get laid.

The walk back took hours, longer than she'd expected. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't realized how far she'd . The sun had set and the stars were high in the sky when she finally saw the lights of the house from the trees. She sighed in relief, wishing she could teleport to her bed and could finally get off her feet.

She waved to Dale on top of the RV who she'd noticed looking through the binoculars, scouting for potential threats. She didn't want to end up with a bullet in her head so she decided to make herself known before an idiot pulled the trigger.

Back at the camp, the group huddled by the fire as they ate. Daryl glanced at the tree line he'd seen her leave from earlier today for the thousandth time. She hadn't come back yet and he was beyond worried.

He felt a hand on his shoulder making his flinch and move away. Carol sat beside him, a bashful smile on her face at his reaction to her touch. "She'll be ok, she's a strong woman."

"The fuck you tellin' me for?" He snapped at her, cursing himself for the heat that rushed to his face. Had he really been so obvious?

Carol sighed and gave him a knowing look. Daryl shook his head in annoyance and looked back down at the plate in his hands.

"Rick!" Dale yelled, climbing down the ladder of the RV. Rick immediately stood, his hand hovering over the holstered gun at his hip. "Rhiannon's back." The old man breathed out, a smile on his face.

Daryl stood, ignoring the dizziness that followed. He trailed behind Rick and Glenn as they quickly made their way past Dale. The pain in his side was screaming at him to stop but he ignored it, he had to see that she was ok.

He stopped in his tracks, seeing the small blonde walking towards them. Rick quickly rushed forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok? What took you so long?" Rick had been panicked after he'd come back from gun training to find her still gone. He'd come to care for her like one of his own.

"Is that blood?" Glenn asked frantically, noticing the black gore on her chest. She nodded, grimacing down at her body in disgust.

"I ran into a few walkers."

"Are you bit?" Rick asked tersely, a grim look on his face.

"No, I'm fine." She replied harshly, still reeling from her paranoia from the incident earlier.

"You sure? You seem pretty shaken."

Rhiannon sighed, her face relaxing from her glare and the three man caught a glance of her scared face. Daryl unknowingly inched closer to her, his face creased with worry.

"There were men in the woods. They heard me calling out for Sophia."

Daryl's eyes widened, immediately trailing down her form to see if she'd been hurt in any way, if her clothes were out of place. The thought made him feel sick, like when he'd heard Shane threaten her. Sitting down with him and pretending nothing happened was the hardest thing he had to do. It took everything in him to not jump across the fire and strangle him.

"Did...they- what did-" Rick stammered, clearly worrying about the same things Daryl did.

"Nothing happened, they didn't see me." There was a collective sigh of relief among the three men. "I just wanted to tell you to keep an eye out just incase they find their way over here. I think we should set up more watch points. I'll stay out at the back of the house tonight."

"No, no. I'll stay up, you've done enough today." Rick told her using his authoritative cop voice that made her groan internally. She never responded well to authority.

"I haven't done much, didn't find any sign of Sophia." She muttered, her face ashen.

It looked like she and Daryl had more in common than he thought. He took it personally during the search, like every time he came up short or every time Carol cried was his fault.

"We'll try again tomorrow." He spoke up, surprising Rick and Glenn who'd barely heard five words from the hunter today. They couldn't help but notice the way Daryl was with the oldest Greene daughter, it was fascinating to watch them together.

Rhiannon sent a small smile to Daryl, the biggest one she could muster up at the time which was basically only a small quirk of her upper lip. She nodded at him in thanks.

"C'mon, you should get some dinner, you haven't eaten since this mornin'." Rick told her making her smile shyly, she liked his fatherly tone better than his officer tone.

The group of them walked back to the campfire. Somehow Daryl and Rhiannon ended up walking side by side with Rick and Glenn in front of them. Rhiannon reached to the knife hidden in the waist of her jeans and handed it to Daryl. "It came in handy."

He took the knife back in silence. Her dry voice made his chest clench. Had he really been so close to losing her today? The thought was too much to handle.

The blonde stopped at the sight of Shane, his eyes trained on her with a leering smile on his face. Shane smirked at the reaction he got from her, he couldn't help the triumphant smile from spreading on his lips. The young blonde had been in his mind the whole day. She was the one he thought of when Andrea had crawled in his lap earlier that day. She was the one he wished he'd been fucking.

Daryl tensed beside her, noticing the way Shane looked at her. He practically growled under his breath, sending a glare so cold towards Shane it was a wonder he didn't instantly turn to ice.

Shane eyed the two carefully, his brows furrowed. If Daryl knew what he'd done he'd surely have to punish Rhiannon.

She shivered under his gaze, putting on a fake smile as Carol handed her a plate.

"Thank you for going out there today." Carol whispered as she sat next to her. Rhiannon nodded, but she couldn't allow herself to smile or even pretend to smile. Shane's gaze felt like knives all over her body.

"Rhiannon, you're back!" Carl yelled, a wide smile on his face.

"Hey, Buddy. You hit your targets?"

"Every single one." He said smugly making the group laugh, well, except Daryl. He was still sending glared towards Shane.

"Thats awesome! Make sure you come find me tomorrow and you can have as much tea as you want." It was easy to pretend that everything was ok when she talked to Carl. She could almost forget the pervert that sat ten feet away. Almost.

She finished her dinner fast, desperate to get away from Shane and everyone's questioning gaze. It probably wasn't a good idea to sit with everyone and eat dinner while covered in blood. It certainly earned her some cautious looks.

"I should get back, my Dad's probably worried." Rhiannon stood, putting her empty plate down. A chorus of 'goodnight' echoed across the group. Daryl look hesitant to let her go alone but he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of everyone so he stayed still, nodded to her in goodbye.

She waved to them as she began to walk away, breathing a sigh of relief at finally escaping Shane's presence.

"Hey, Rhiannon, wait up." Glenn rushed after her, making her stop. She turned to face him, an annoyed look on her face. She didn't care if she looked like a bitch, she had a long fucking day. "Look, Maggie and I went out on a run today and she had a pretty close call. She's really shaken up."

"Yeah, so am I." She mumbled and continued walking towards her house. Yes, she was definitely a bitch but she really wasn't in the mood. She couldn't constantly coddle her family. She'd been through hell in those three weeks alone but it only served to make her stronger. They had to learn what it was really like out there and having close calls was the best way to really understand.

She knew she was acting cold hearted and she couldn't ignore the stab of fear in her heart at the knowledge that her younger sister had almost been killed. It absolutely terrified her and she wanted desperately to pull her sister into a hug and never let go but after the fight they had she knew that wasn't happening.

The front door slammed shut behind her, alerting her worried family to her presence.

"Where in God's name have you been?" Her father yelled from his seat at the dining room table. Maggie and Beth sat next to him, both with relieved looks on their faces.

"I was looking for Sophia." She spoke harshly, not sparing a look another look at them as she walked past them to go up the stairs.

"Get back here, we have to talk." Hershel spoke strongly, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm going to bed, we can talk tomorrow."

Rhiannon stomped up the stairs, ignoring the calls from behind her. She couldn't deal with getting yelled at again. She needed sleep more than anything. She felt bad but there was no turning back now.

She laid on her bed and nuzzled her face into her pillow, hoping she could detect Daryl's scent. She couldn't but knowing he was there the night before was enough to comfort her, just a little bit. Her mind raced with everything that had happened. It looked like she was in for another fitful night.

* * *

Rhiannon trudged her way down stairs, her feet dragging in exhaustion. As soon as she walked into the kitchen, looking for coffee, her arm was grabbed and she was pulled out of the room.

"Maggie! The hell are you doing?" She groaned loudly.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I was being a bitch, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Rhiannon sighed and looked down at her feet. "You weren't wrong. I wasn't exactly the best sister at times." She shrugged.

Maggie shook her head. "I know you love us and I know you think you're protecting us by not telling us what happened out there."

Maggie paused and pinched the bridge of her nose. Rhiannon looked at her with concern, wondering why she'd be so stressed.

"You don't have to tell me anything, I just heard from Glenn that you had a close call yesterday and I wanna make sure you're ok."

Maggie's eyes watered and she let out a deep breath. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She didn't care if her Dad got pissed off at her, she needed to tell Rhiannon the truth about the barn. After getting attacked the day before she knew Rhiannon was right, there was no way to save them. They needed to be taken out.

"Rhiannon, there's something you need to know."

* * *

 **Shit is about to go down.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was kind of a filler before we get to the big blow up coming up. A lot of stuff is going to be revealed in the next couple of chapters. Thanks so much for the feedback on the last chapter, I'm so happy you guys are enjoying it so far! xx**


	9. Chapter 9

The group sat in silence as they ate breakfast, everyone totally oblivious to the young man sweating nervously. All except Dale. He eyed Glenn sternly, silently telling him to finally spill his secret.

"Uhh, guys?"

The group looked up at Glenn, their mouths turning down into frowns at noticing how stressed he seemed.

"The hell is that girl doing?" T-Dog broke the silence, his gaze shifted away from Glenn. The group turned to see what he was looking at.

Daryl's heart pounded at an irregular beat as he saw Rhiannon practically throw herself off the porch and start sprinting towards the barn. His gaze shifted to the ex cop, at least he knew _he_ wasn't the problem.

"So...the barn's full of walkers." Glenn blurted out. He didn't know whether to be mad or thankful that Rhiannon's act had pushed him to tell everyone.

There was a moment of stunned silence, fear and confused anger seeping out of everyone's expressions.

All that mattered to Daryl in that moment was that Rhiannon had just been running _towards_ the death trap filled with flesh eating monsters. He sprung up from his seat, the plate that laid in his lap falling to the ground. It was like a chain reaction. Suddenly everyone was out of their seats and running towards the barn.

Rhiannon peered through the gap in the slats of the doors. The roaming bodies were unmistakable. _Holy shit, Maggie wasn't lying._ She pulled away slowly, her breath coming out in harsh pants. Her mind seemed to short circuit when Maggie began to tell her what her father was hiding in their backyard and she didn't even have time to think about what she was doing before she was running as fast as she could out of the house.

Her stepmother and her stepbrother were in there. Her neighbors, people she went to school with, people she saw at the grocery store, they were all stuck in there, forced to live as mindless killers. What the fuck was her father thinking?

"Hey!" She turned seeing the group racing towards her, Shane leading the pack, looking outraged. "You knew 'bout this?"

"Does it look like I fucking knew about it?" She snapped at him angrily. There was no way Shane would do anything to her, not with the whole group watching and especially not with Daryl around so it gave her free reign to yell at him until she was blue in the face, something she was more than happy to do.

Shane pushed passed her, his shoulder almost knocking her over had she not stepped away in time. Her jaw clenched painfully as she tried to control herself. She so badly wanted to just blurt out everything he'd done and let him be Rick's problem, but the man had been so nice to her. He was one of the only genuinely good guys left and she couldn't do that to him.

Her gaze immediately found Daryl who was pacing angrily, a dark look in his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was glaring at Shane or the barn.

"You cannot tell me you're ok with this." Shane stomped back towards the group making Rhiannon slowly move off to the side so she wasn't the one closest to him. Daryl noticed and took a step towards her, his face still creased in anger but he didn't spare a glance at her. Her heart dropped at the thought that he could be mad at her.

"No I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land."

 _Thank the fucking lord for Rick Grimes,_ Rhiannon thought to herself. She sent him a grateful look. He nodded in response though he looked tense beyond all belief. He certainly wasn't happy about it but he was rational enough to know it wasn't just his problem to take care of.

"It ain't right. Not remotely." Shane snapped in frustration. "Ok, we've either got to go in there, we've got to make things right or we've just got to go."

Rhiannon felt like the breath was knocked out of her. She turned to Daryl who just looked down at his shoes. He didn't want to go, right?

"We can't go."

"Why, Rick, why?" God, she wanted to punch Shane so badly.

"Because my daughter's still out there." Carol chimed in, a devastated look on her face.

Shane ran his hands over his face in exasperation. "Ok, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

"Are you kidding me?" Rhiannon stepped forward past Daryl and Carol. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you really that heartless?" _Yes, yes he was._

Daryl grabbed her arm and pulled her back, giving her a stern glare. He knew Shane wouldn't do anything right now but behind closed doors was another story. Carol placed a hand on Rhiannon's shoulder, she could practically feel the anger radiating off the younger woman. She had a feeling this wasn't just about Sophia.

"I'm close to finding this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago." Daryl was back to pacing like a caged tiger as he tried desperately to control his anger. This was just supposed to be about the barn and finding Sophia. He didn't want to betray Rhiannon's trust and blurt out what a pathetic rapist he really is. He didn't want her to be pissed at him too.

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll."

"You don't know what the hell you're talkin' about."

This time it was Rhiannon's turn to grip onto Daryl to stop him from beating Shane into the ground. As much as she would've loved to see it, the scared look she saw on Carl's face made her snap back into reality.

Daryl shrugged her off violently, making her jerk back. He was so mad he didn't even realize who was touching him. Had he known it was Rhiannon, there was no way he would've pulled away like that.

"Let me tell you somethin' else, man. If she was alive out there and saw you comin' all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction."

It was suddenly chaos as Daryl lunged at Shane, shouting curses at him. Rick stepped in the middle pushing at both the hot headed males, yelling at them to calm down. Rhiannon pulled at Daryl's arm, trying to stop him at the same moment Shane stepped forward. She tensed as Shane was practically yelling right in her ear. She turned and pushed at his chest at the same time as Rick did. Only it seemed Shane didn't even notice Rick, he only had his murderous gaze on Rhiannon.

She suddenly felt a hand grip at her arm making her wince. Shane forcefully grabbed her and pushed her away from him, knocking her to the ground.

"Shane!" Lori yelled at him, horrified at what she'd just seen.

Daryl saw red. He swiftly punched Shane in the jaw but was immediately pushed back by Rick before he could get any more in. All he wanted was just a few more seconds to beat him to the ground for putting his hands on her. His chest heaved with each panting breath of rage. He looked to Rhiannon who sat on the ground, a terrified look on her face. His fists clenched at his side. Andrea put a hand on his chest, fearing he'd lash out again. He stepped back from her, his gaze focused solely on Rhiannon.

He hated how scared she looked because of that prick. He hadn't known her for long but he could tell she wasn't the kind to be easily scared. Hell, she went out beyond the fence just yesterday and took down a whole family of walkers on her own, she was fucking fearless. Except when it came to Shane. Daryl hated that he terrified her.

Rick pushed Shane back with more force than necessary but he didn't care. He was in absolute shock at what he'd just seen his best friend do. He looked to Rhiannon who was being helped up by Lori and Carol, both woman fussing over the scrape on her elbow.

"What the fuck was that?" Rick hissed at him through clenched teeth, now standing nose to nose with him.

Shane shrugged flippantly, his eyes never meeting Rick's. "Didn't know it was her."

His voice was too casual, he acted like it hadn't been him that just pushed down a innocent and sweet woman. Rick tensed, a chill running down his spine. _This isn't Shane._ It was like he didn't even care and it worried him.

Shane began to walk away, shaking his head at them like they were the ones to be disgraced. Rick grit his teeth, he could feel himself losing grip on his best friend. "Just let me talk to Hershel."

Rhiannon outwardly sighed, her body deflating with a big exhale. She was fucking exhausted already and the day had barely started.

"Let me figure it out."

She was so grateful Rick was thinking rationally.

"What are you gonna figure out?!" Shane yelled, stomping back towards him. Rhiannon flinched slightly, suddenly fearing he was coming for her. She squeezed her eyes shut, she hated him for making her scared of him.

Daryl was suddenly beside her. "You good?" He asked quietly, his face still clouded with anger. She nodded slowly and shifted closer to him. He noticed and he swallowed thickly, fidgeting on his feet. He didn't know how to respond to her. He never had anyone look to him for comfort before.

"Hershel sees those things as people - sick people. His wife, his stepson." Dale finally stepped in, trying to keep the peace.

Rhiannon felt her chest constrict at his words. He knew before she did. It made her feel rage, betrayal, and overwhelming sadness at the fact that her Dad didn't tell her something her whole family knew and not to mention Glenn and Dale too. It hurt more than she could've imagined.

"Yesterday I talked to Hershel." Dale turned to Rhiannon and frowned, eyeing her sympathetically when he noticed her fallen expression. "He didn't want to tell you because he knew you wouldn't agree."

Dale's words did little to comfort her, they actually just made her more upset. _Fuck yeah I don't agree._ She turned her back, putting her hands over her face. A huge migraine was definitely starting. She had no idea how this was going to get solved, it seemed like this would be the undoing of the naive paradise they'd been living the past few weeks.

She saw a shadow come up behind her. A small smile came to her lips, knowing it was Daryl. She didn't want him to see her like this, she didn't want to freak him out with all her family drama which she was sure he didn't give a shit about. She turned back to the group, nodding reassuringly at both Daryl and Carol who watched her with concern.

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive or not."

Rhiannon glared at Shane, she felt like steam was about to come out of her ears. She didn't agree with what her father was doing but it was still her father and she would always defend him, especially to assholes like Shane.

She was about to start yelling at him when the chains keeping the barn doors closed began to rattle furiously. All the fighting had riled up the bodies inside and they pushed against the door, desperate to get out.

Daryl grabbed her arm, pulling her back, giving her an annoyed look because she didn't step back right away. She narrowed her eyes at him in confusion, she found it endearing how he was concerned for her but she didn't understand it. He was very closed off with her, she didn't know a thing about him and he certainly didn't seem like the type to care deeply for others. But he had punched Shane in the face for hurting her and he seemed pretty damned concerned for her so maybe she was wrong. _Why is everything so fucking complicated right now,_ she wanted to scream.

There was a tense silence among the group. No one knew what to say at this point. Rhiannon sighed, it was her farm, it was her Dad that made the decision, so in a way it was her responsibility to try and fix the colossal shit storm that was brewing.

"I'll talk to my Dad and try to work something out." She finally spoke up, catching the attention of everyone in the group making her shift under their gazes.

"Work something out?" Shane snorted sarcastically. "What the hell are you gonna do?" His harsh tone made her face turn to stone and the look she gave him made even Rick widen his eyes and straighten his shoulders. He was glad she wasn't looking at _him_ like that.

"I'm gonna tell him what it's really like out there." She suddenly took in a deep breath and pinched the bridge between her eyes. "I'll tell him what happened to me when I was on my own." Her voice was now small, like a frightened child.

"Rhiannon, no." Rick said without hesitation. He knew little of what she'd been through. The one thing she told him was enough to shake her and he didn't want her to go through that again. "We're not gonna force you to tell anyone what happened out there."

"You're not forcing me. He's my father, I should've told him a long time ago." She didn't think she'd ever said that before. She kept so many things from him because she knew he'd be disappointed in her. Her family barely knew anything about her life in New York and it was her own fault for closing them off. It made her feel like shit how disconnected she'd been with them the last few years, hell, maybe even her whole life. Maybe this whole barn situation was her penance for being a shitty child.

"Well you're not gonna carry the burden alone. I'll go with you and we'll talk to him together."

She nodded to Rick, a sad smile on her face. That seemed to signal the end of the conversation and everyone began to make their way back to camp. Daryl hesitated for a moment, looking at Rhiannon with confliction. He watched her talk to Rick and he began to bite at his lip. Had she confided in him about her time out there? She hadn't told him anything but it seemed like Rick knew something he didn't.

 _Stop being a fucking pussy. You ain't nothing to her, never will be. Who gives a shit who she talks to,_ he berated himself. Suddenly Rhiannon turned to him making his face go red, momentarily fearing that he'd spoken out loud. She sent him a smile, silently thanking him for sticking up for her earlier.

He nodded at her and quickly began to walk away, feeling his cheeks heat up. He had to get away from her before he did something embarrassing. That seemed to become the norm with them, him leaving with a sigh of relief so he wouldn't blurt out how he thought she was beautiful or how he'd do anything to protect her, or any of that stupid shit he hated himself for thinking.

He knew it was better to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

Rhiannon stood with Rick as they began to think of exactly what to say to Hershel. They had to tread lightly, he already wanted them gone and now that they found his big secret things certainly weren't looking great for them.

"Hey, Rhiannon." Glenn nervously approached, wringing his hat in his hands. "I'm sorry about all this. Maggie didn't tell me, I found out on my own. She was so worried about how you'd react, that's why she was so...off yesterday."

Rhiannon gave him a small smile, he really was adorable, like a faithful dog. "Thanks, Glenn." She reached out and squeezed his hand making him smile shyly. "And thanks for saving her yesterday."

Glenn puffed out his chest slightly, a proud smile on his face making her want to laugh. She never expected her sister to fall for a huge dork but she was happy she did. "It was nothing."

"No, it wasn't. And I'm sorry I was such a bitch yesterday."

"No, no, don't even apologize. You had a close call, I don't blame you. I'm just glad you're ok."

Rhiannon pulled him into a tight hug. She felt him tense in surprise before finally hugging her back. "I'm glad she found you." She mumbled against his shoulder.

Glenn laughed quietly. "Me too."

She pulled away, stifling a laugh at his red cheeks. She waved a goodbye to him as she caught up to Rick who was slowly making his way towards the house.

They walked in silence but she could feel his gaze on her. She turned to him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm sorry about Shane." Rick said, noticing the way her demeanor instantly changed at the mention of his partner. "Is your arm ok?"

Rhiannon nodded, straightening out her arm to see the damage. "It's just a scrape."

"Still, wasn't right what he did. I'll have a talk with him."

"Rick, that's really not necessary."

"Why?" He asked her, looking at her like he was in an interrogation. He _knew_ there was a problem between the two of them and he knew Rhiannon was aware that he'd noticed. "Something happened between you two."

"Rick-"

"Why won't you tell me." He said abruptly, noticing the hesitant tone in her voice.

"Because it's not your problem. You have enough to deal with."

That stopped him in his tracks. "Do you know about Lori?" He suddenly asked, only to regret it immediately at the confused look on her face. She didn't. Rick sighed, scratching at the scruff on his neck. "She's pregnant."

Rhiannon's eyes widened almost comically large. She opened her mouth as if to say something but nothing came out. She stared at Rick with a look of disbelief and if the situation wasn't so serious he would burst out laughing at her. The only thing that she was able to say was a small 'huh.'

Rick nodded, a tired look on his face. Being the leader certainly took a lot out of him. And all the drama between his wife and best friend wasn't helping at all. "I don't know if it's mine or Shane's."

He looked down at his shoes, not wanting to see Rhiannon's expression. Looks of pity were always the worst and he didn't want to deal with it.

"Woah." She whispered. "Are you ok?"

"She thought I was dead." He shrugged, even though those words didn't make him feel any better about it.

"You didn't answer my question."

Rick just shrugged again, he didn't know if he was ok. His mind was like a whirlwind of thoughts that he couldn't pinpoint and figure out. He looked absolutely exhausted, like just thinking about the complicated situation tired him out. "She's your wife and that's your baby, no matter what. Trust me you're a much better father than Shane would ever be." Rhiannon reassured him after seeing the ashen look on his face. This guy could use a fucking break.

Rick nodded, _yeah especially after what happened earlier._ "Thank you." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"There's no way I'm letting you guys leave the farm." Rhiannon spoke with so much conviction it made him smile. It made him feel better, seeing her confidence that she'd been lacking lately. She reminded him of the girl who offered to help his dying son, the girl he'd come to admiring so greatly. He nodded at her and together they walked into the house, spotting Hershel sitting at the dining room table eating lunch.

Rhiannon faltered slightly, not even feeling remotely ready for the argument that was surely about to happen. She barely even felt Rick place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It'll be ok." He whispered.

She nodded and reluctantly walked forward, giving her a father a stiff smile. "Hi." She rasped, walking to the other side of the table to take a seat.

Hershel gave his daughter a nod which shook her to her core. He was mad, very mad. "Are you here to talk about what happened last night?"

"Uhh, no." She replied with a questioning tone.

"Your behaviour last night was unacceptable."

Rhiannon gave her father an annoyed look that conveyed just how tired she really was. That's seriously what he wanted to talk about right now? "Dad, I'm not twelve, I don-"

Rick gave her a look, telling her to calm down and let him take over before it turned into a full fledged father/daughter fight. "A little light reading for lunch?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at Rick's lame attempt at small talk. They agreed to be as polite and respectful as possible not to stall and beat around the bush.

"Been working so hard lately I get my studying in where I can." The condescending tone in his voice didn't go unnoticed. Rhiannon felt like that was a dig at her because she'd never been overtly religious like him. When she was younger she'd tell him she didn't believe in God, knowing it would hurt him. She definitely played dirty during fights.

"You know we can help you out with your work."

"It's my field to tend."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Dad, do you realize how ridiculous you sound? They're offering to help, you're really just gonna brush them off?" She told herself not to sound too annoyed or let her attitude take over but she was sure she just failed.

Again, Rick gave her a look telling her to keep her mouth shut. She complied, knowing she would probably only end up making it worse. She then gave him a look telling him to get on with it.

Hershel eyed the two suspiciously, their silent conversation putting him on edge. "What's going on here?" He questioned. He thought he was about to have a serious talk with his daughter, something that was very overdue. But he doubted she'd want Rick to be apart of that.

"We found the barn."

Rhiannon expected him to blow up, to jump from his chair and start an all out war. She wanted him to turn to her and tell her how sorry he was for keeping it from her, to tell her what a mistake he made.

Instead, he kept his eyes down on his reading, not even acknowledging either of their tense and waiting expressions. "Leave it be."

Rhiannon felt her patience plummet. But again, it was Rick Grimes to the rescue. "Well, I'd like to talk about it, but either way - your barn, your farm, your say." He spoke rationally, not even sparing a look at Rhiannon. He didn't need to look at her to know she'd be about to explode with anger.

"I don't want to talk about the barn. I don't want to debate."

"Not a debate, a discussion."

Hershel gave a brief glance to his daughter who sat stiff as a board, her face contorted like she was holding her breath. He could tell it was taking maximum effort for her to keep quiet. He then turned to Rick. "I need you and your group gone by the end of the week."

"Dad!"

"Rhiannon, don-"

"No!" She yelled at Rick who tried to stop her. "You shouldn't be the one to make these kinds of decisions because you have no idea what it's really like out there! I can't believe you! You go around spouting this bullshit," she yelled, pointing down to what he was reading. "And you don't even act on it."

"That's enough." Hershel warned her, his voice dangerously low. He felt like he had time traveled back to when Rhiannon was a teenager and the fights they had when he didn't agree with her lifestyle.

"No! You can't just brush this off, these are people's lives we're talking about."

"What about those lives in the barn?" He countered. If he thought Rhiannon was about to blow up before he hadn't seen anything yet. She pulled at the roots of her hair and exhaled loudly, trying to keep herself in check. As always it was almost impossible to argue with her Dad.

Rick finally stepped in. "We have our differences with the way we look at the walkers. Those people, they may be dead, they may be alive. But my people, us, your daughters, we are alive right now, right here, in front of you. Rhiannon's right, you send us out there and that could change."

"I've given you safe harbor. My conscience is clear."

"How can you say that?" Rhiannon spoke, now much more calm than before. "They're safe now and they're grateful for what you've done for them but if they go out there and they don't survive, that's on you."

Hershel just shook his head, not even responding to her. Rhiannon didn't even listen as Rick began to speak again, her mind was a whirlwind, trying to think of something to finally make her father realize how naive he was. _I have to tell him_. It was the only option left.

Suddenly Hershel stood, grabbing his plate and began walking to the kitchen. Rhiannon and Rick quickly followed behind.

"The first time I saw a walker it was just half a body snapping at me from the ground and my inclination wasn't to kill it. But what the world is out there isn't what you saw on tv. It is much much worse and it changes you. Either into one of them or something a lot less than the person you were." It was unsettling to Rick that an image of Shane flitted through his mind at the last statement.

"Dad, Maggie and Beth begged me to come back here after what they saw on the news. They knew it was bad and if I didn't listen to them and got out when I did, I'd be dead right now."

Hershel let out a shaky breath at her words, he didn't want to think about that. Rhiannon stepped forward, her eyes beginning to well up. Rick sighed and gave her a look. _You really don't have to do this._

She shook her head at him. "The first time I saw a walker it killed a family. It took a bite out of the father and the mother and the little girl ran away. I had to kill what I first thought was a man because he tried to kill me." She let out a bitter laugh, "I thought I'd be put in jail."

Both Rick and Hershel saw the haunted look in her eyes. It hurt them just to watch her, it looked like it tortured her to talk about it, let alone to even think about it. Their hearts beat faster while they listened to her talk, both dreading what they were about to hear.

"I went after the little girl and by the time I found her," Her voice cracked and she let out what sounded like a whimper. Hershel desperately wanted to comfort her but he felt like he was in some sort of trance. "I was too late. One of those things you think are still people killed her. She was torn open and they were _eating_ her."

"That's why you went to the high school to get the stuff for Carl." Rick stated, his voice raspy with emotion. She couldn't let another child die, he understood her conviction now.

Rhiannon nodded, wiping a few tears that fell. Hershel felt his heart break watching his daughter fall apart. He'd only seen her cry a handful of times. As a child it was like she refused to show emotion in front of him. It was always so jarring when he did see it.

"I'm sorry that we don't agree with each other but I can't allow myself to see those things as anything less than monsters. Not after that."

Hershel had no words. Rhiannon saw the hesitation on his face. _I guess that means storytime isn't over._

"It's not just walkers that are dangerous. This world changes people."

Hershel looked at her in confusion. Rick looked like he was about to be sick. He knew what she was about to tell her dad and he knew nothing could prepare him for it. If it were Carl that told him someone had hurt him, he'd never rest easy until the threat was taken care of. No parent should ever have to hear that their child was hurt by someone.

"How do you think I got this?" She spoke tersely, gesturing to the scar above her eyebrow. Hershel had noticed it practically the second he saw her. He never questioned her about it and he never allowed himself to think about it, every possible explanation hurt too much to think about.

"Someone got killed saving me. It was my fault, I was reckless and the person they were with knew that and he wanted me dead. The only reason I got away was because I didn't warn him about the walker behind him."

Hershel's face had paled. His body was tense and for a moment he felt dizzy. He actually wondered if he was having a stroke.

"He's dead. Got torn apart right in front of me. But if he wasn't, it would've been me and I never would've made it back."

Hershel shook his head, silently telling her to stop. He couldn't handle hearing any more. Rick was silent too, he looked at Rhiannon with a look she couldn't decipher. Pride, empathy, and sadness maybe. But she saw no disgust or fear.

"Rhiannon...I..-" Hershel stuttered. He had no words for his daughter.

"How can you be the one to make this decision for them when you have no idea what it's like. You've never heard people scream as they were torn apart or heard them call for your help but you did nothing because you knew you'd be dead too. People will do anything to survive, even kill the ones who aren't the threat." Rhiannon's tear filled eyes suddenly turned blank as she was relaying the painful memories of the people she'd failed while out on the road and the monsters she'd seen pillage groups to take their supplies.

She suddenly shook her head, her face creasing in despair. She quickly left the room, not wanting to hear what her father or Rick had to say. She didn't want to see the way they looked at her now that they knew what she'd done, or hadn't done really.

She immediately took in the fresh air when she stumbled out the door and into the open air. Her hands shook as she placed them over her tear stained face. It was done, she couldn't take it back, her father knew everything. Her chest heaved with each breath she took. It was a valiant effort for her to calm herself down from hyperventilating.

Rhiannon looked at the far away camp, squinting her eyes as she tried to find the redneck that was slowly becoming so familiar and comfortable to her. She felt like screaming in frustration when she couldn't find him.

 _Where the fuck is Daryl._ _I need him._

* * *

 **Well there you have it folks!**

 **Next chapter will have loads of Daryl and Rhiannon fluff and a shitshow we all know it coming.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always a HUGE thank you to everyone that reviewed! They really make my day and get me pumped to write.**


	10. Chapter 10

"Are you sure you're ok?" Lori asked again, her face creased in concern. She was still in shock at what Shane had done. He'd always been a hot head but she never expected him to ever hurt a woman, especially Rhiannon who'd done nothing but help them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It hardly hurts." Rhiannon shrugged her off, trying not to act like a total bitch but she'd been having a pretty shitty day so far.

"That's not like him."

Rhiannon suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her. What Rick told her rattled around her brain. _It's probably hard to see the dark side of him while you're fucking him._

She immediately felt bad, even if she hadn't said it outloud. Lori had been nice to her, she didn't have any reason to feel any kind of malice towards her, Rhiannon just had a very short fuse today and all she wanted was to find Daryl. Lori had stopped her on her way to his tent and she couldn't very well ignore her.

"Rick told me." She spoke abruptly, her eyes trailing down to her still flat belly. Lori's eyes widened and she put her hand against her mouth. She nodded slowly, her eyes cast down to the ground. "He thought I already knew. He wouldn't have said anything otherwise."

Lori still had a bewildered expression. The fear on her face was clear as day.

"You don't have to be ok with it. I can't even imagine how scared you are right now." Rhiannon told her. "If you need anything, vitamins, baby supplies, just let me know. You guys aren't going anywhere."

Lori suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, stealing Rhiannon's breath away. She still felt like she didn't know her enough to receive this kind of affection from her, but she couldn't complain. She can't remember the last time she got a hug from someone who wasn't her immediate family.

"Thank you." The older woman whispered, her arms still embracing the young blonde tightly. Lori felt like she was annoying both Rick and Shane everytime she opened her mouth. She was glad to have Rhiannon, the young woman always seemed to have an open mind and was quickly becoming someone she could go to when she needed help.

"I should get back to Carl." She said, finally pulling away. Rhiannon nodded and waved to her as she walked away.

She sighed, turning in circles to look around the camp. There was no sign of Daryl anywhere. She turned to the RV, Carol was in there, she probably knew where he went. She made her way into the vehicle, spotting the older woman reading her book at the table.

"Hi." Carol smiled warmly at her but instantly frowned at seeing the state she was in. "Are you ok, you look like you've been crying."

"So do you." Rhiannon spoke, eyeing her with the same curiosity she was giving her.

Carol sighed, closing her book. "I'm guessing the talk with your Dad didn't go as planned."

"It went just as well as I expected." She sat across from her, her hands fidgeting on the tabletop. "I told him everything. Things I thought I'd never tell anyone."

"You didn't have to do that for us." Carol spoke softly, grabbing her hand gently.

Rhiannon closed her eyes tightly. It was like being with her mother. She hadn't had this kind of comfort since before her mom died. She never let herself get close to Anette like this, she was so bitter and angry at her dad, she did everything in her power to resist the woman. But Carol was so caring and sweet and Rhiannon was fed up with pushing people away, it always did her no good.

"Yes I did. We need you, all of you, to protect this place. He just doesn't understand that."

Carol smiled sadly at the young woman, squeezing her hand in hers. She didn't have any words of comfort for her, she would take the outcome no matter what it was. She obviously didn't want to leave the farm but she wasn't going to fight their decisions.

"Still, I can't imagine how horrible it was for you to bring that up again and you did it for us. We'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for us, for me. You don't even know my Sophia but you're risking your life for her when you don't have to." Carol spoke softly, momentarily fearing she'd respond the same way Daryl had at her suggesting to stop the search for her daughter.

Rhiannon couldn't help but feel extremely shy at Carol's words. She'd never been good at receiving compliments which made her career as a dancer sometimes unbearable. She never expected those feelings to come back during the fucking apocalypse.

"You don't need to repay me, I'm just doing the human thing. The world went to shit, doesn't mean we have to too."

Carol felt herself smile. She couldn't have been more thankful for finding the farm and the people on it. Rhiannon was surely someone you wish you had on your side, especially during this never ending fight. She was fighting so hard for them.

The scene at the barn ran through her head making her smile fall. The hand that was holding hers gently moved up her arm, turning it slightly so Carol could see the scrape on her elbow. Her breathing hitched at the dried blood she saw. "Are you ok?"

Carol was probably the only one Rhiannon was ok with asking her the question. She was the only one that knew about her abusive ex boyfriend and her own personal experiences made her the perfect person to talk to about this, but it still wasn't enough to persuade her to talk about the flashbacks she got when Shane had manhandled her.

"It freaked me out but I'm ok." She shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal of it. She certainly didn't want to tell Carol the dark secrets of a certain group member.

The older woman was very perceptive though, she'd noticed how tentative Rhiannon became around Shane and how she'd avoid eye contact with him, or even standing in close proximity to him. Carol hadn't known her long but she'd seen how she interacted with everyone, how bubbly and sweet she was with everyone and so willing to help. But with Shane she was a completely different person.

"What's going on between you two?"

Rhiannon was startled at her question. "What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly, stalling so she could find the proper words to divert the conversation without being too obvious that she was hiding something.

"Don't give me that." Carol's tone shocked her. "I know something happened between you and Shane. Everyone can see it, they're just too polite to ask and I'm pretty sure Glenn and T-Dog are scared of you."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, a slight smirk on her face. "Damn, Carol. I didn't give you enough credit."

"Did he hurt you?" The joking aura around them dissipated, their moods turning serious once again. Carol eyed her carefully. After she'd discovered her scars, she didn't want to overstep her boundaries more than she already had but if someone she knew was hurting her, she couldn't sit back and let it happen.

"No." Rhiannon spoke monotonously, clearly lying.

Carol sighed in frustration but decided to let it go, she knew if anyone were to ask her about Ed, she'd clam up and say nothing. She knew how she hated it when people pushed her so she wasn't going to do that to Rhiannon.

"Alright, your turn." Carol looked at her in confusion. "I told you why I was crying, now it's your turn."

Carol sighed, removing her hands from Rhiannon's and folding them in her lap. "Daryl snapped at me." She shook her head at how ridiculous she sounded, like a little girl who had been yelled at by her father.

"What happened?" Rhiannon asked in concern. An angry Daryl was never a good thing. She'd gotten pretty good at dealing with him, they hadn't yelled at each other in a couple of days and she'd actually considered them friends but if she sought him out while he was having a tantrum that could quickly change.

"I told him he shouldn't keep risking his life...that he should stop looking." Carol looked down at her lap, too ashamed to see the disappointed look that was sure to be on Rhiannon's face.

"Carol...look at me." Rhiannon urged her until she finally looked up at her. "I can't even imagine how hard this is for you and I hate that you had to hear Shane spout his bullshit-"

"It's not bullshit. She's been gone for weeks. She won't know how to look for food or shelter, there are walkers everywhere - there's no chance of us finding her alive! I don't want you and Daryl getting killed looking for a ghost."

Rhiannon sighed, slumping back in her seat. "I'm guessing Daryl didn't take that too well."

Carol shook her head, wiping a few tears that had fallen. "He hurt himself and stormed out, I don't know where he went."

The pair sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Rhiannon didn't like the fact that yet another person didn't believe they'd find the child, especially her own mother but she honestly couldn't blame Carol for losing hope. It truly would be easier for her to accept the grief instead of continuing to be let down day after day after every failed search.

"You must think I'm the worst the mother."

Rhiannon shook her head. "Carol, stop." She saw the mother put her head in her hands, barely holding on. It made her chest tighten watching her so distraught. "No offence but you're a mess right now. I don't think an uncaring mother would be acting like this."

Carol let the side of her mouth quirk up, she really did feel like a mess and it was so refreshing to actually hear someone admit it and not coddle her like the others had been doing.

"Look, I understand that you don't want us getting hurt, you'd feel like it was your fault. But honestly, I'm not gonna stop looking for her, no matter how much you tell me to stop. This is my decision and if anything were to happen to me it would be because _I_ chose to go out there. It's not on you."

"Thank you." The older woman whispered. Rhiannon was honest with her and it made her respect the young woman even more. She suddenly seemed to sober, remembering the other group member who she'd offended earlier. "You should talk to Daryl. You're the only he'll listen to."

Rhiannon blushed, her mouth moving with silent words she couldn't find. Carol smirked at her.

"You two are close, don't deny it." Carol told her simply. "You should have seen him last night, he was so worried about you."

Rhiannon blushed even harder. She moved her head to the side, hoping her hair would cover it but the small laugh she heard from Carol meant she'd been unsuccessful. She quickly stood, playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Look, whatever Shane's done, whatever happened in the past, I can assure you that won't happen again, not with Daryl around, and certainly not with _me_ around. He's rough around the edges but he would never hurt you."

Rhiannon felt a lump in her throat. Carol really did remind her of her mom, the one she'd lost so long ago. "Why do you care so much?"

Carol stood, grabbing her hands in hers. "Because you remind me of the person I wanted to be. You've been hurt but you're so strong. I wish I could have left Ed and allowed myself to find happiness. You're what I wished I could have been."

Rhiannon threw her arms around Carol, holding her tightly. A small, delighted laugh left the older woman and she wrapped her arms around her. They hugged each other, both of them enjoying the comfort they so desperately needed. Eventually they let go, knowing their bond had solidified.

"I'll try and find him. You should be expecting an apology soon."

Carol laughed. "Good luck with that."

Rhiannon gave her one last smile before exiting the RV. She took in a deep breath, looking out at the acres of trees in front of her, wondering where the redneck could have gone.

Suddenly it was like a light bulb had gone off in her head. A wide grin stretched out her cheeks. She knew exactly where he was.

* * *

Daryl sat in front of the Cherokee Rose, enjoying the solitude he'd been eager to find the last couple of weeks. His crossbow lay beside him, ready to grab if he needed it. The conversation with Carol rattled him, he felt his fists clenching just thinking about what she'd said to him. He didn't understand how she could turn her back on her own daughter.

He was still so fucking furious after what Shane had done to Rhiannon and Carol had come at the wrong time. A low growl left his lips as he thought about the asshole ex-cop. He always knew he was a slimy bastard but now he was the number one threat he had to watch out for. Walkers be damned, Shane was top of the list.

Soft footsteps were heard behind him. He quickly grabbed his bow, aiming it at the potential threat. His tense shoulders deflated at the sight of the small blonde that hadn't left his mind all day. He put his weapon down, as she walked closer to him, an amused smile on her face at how jumpy he'd been.

"The fuck you doin' here?" He asked, sounding more like an asshole than he'd intended to.

"Carol told me what happened." Her amused smile was gone when she realized he wasn't in a good mood and she was dealing with the Daryl she'd first met, the one who would do anything to push her away. But she refused to let him go that easily.

Daryl watched her cautiously, noticing how serious she was. "How'd you find me?"

She walked closer to him, sitting herself down in front of the flowers the way he'd been doing before she found him. He stayed motionless for a moment before finally giving in. He sat on the ground next to her, both of them looking forward.

"I figured you come here, to see the roses." She shrugged, absolutely oblivious to the swirl of emotions Daryl was feeling. She knew exactly what he'd been thinking and knew what he needed to calm down, it made him feel like he was suddenly drowning at the knowledge that she'd been thinking like him and had actually gotten it right.

There was an obvious connection between them, he couldn't deny it. It made his palms sweat, having thoughts in his head he'd never dream of having. It scared him to no end so he did what he did best, push until they left.

"Why'd you come?" He spoke tersely, not allowing himself to spare a glance at her. He'd definitely crack if he saw her doe-like brown eyes that absolutely floored him every time she looked at him.

"Just wanted to talk." She shrugged, glancing at him. He refused to look at her, and stared straight ahead.

"What makes you think I wanna talk to you?"

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him, noticing how cold he was being towards her. Granted, Daryl was never a particularly warm person to be around but he sure as hell wasn't always this much of an ass.

"I just wanna make sure you're ok. Carol said you hurt yourself."

"Yeah? That bitch tell you she don't wanna find her daughter?"

Rhiannon grit her teeth, this was like a serious case of deja vu. Their first day together, Daryl had been rude and she'd lost her patience, yelling at him right back. She tried her hardest not to let that happen again, they'd get nowhere if they were just arguing back and forth like children.

"You know how hard this is for her. She just doesn't want to see you hurt, she can't lose anyone else."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I ain't nothin'. Not worth savin' over her daughter."

Rhiannon's frustration dissipated at his words. Did he really think no one cared about him? She sighed, turning her body so she was facing him but he still didn't look at her. "It's not a choice of you or Sophia. Carol's just accepting the fact that her chances aren't great."

"You fuckin' serious? Thought you were different than those other pricks." He snapped at her, standing up from his spot on the ground. He felt genuinely hurt that she thought Sophia was gone. She was always spouting off about hope and she had been out there looking for the little girl just as much as he had. So what changed?

"I'm not saying she's dead!" She yelled, standing up to face him. He finally looked at her, noticing the desperation on her face. "I told Carol I'm still gonna look for her."

Daryl's face softened, his glare disappearing. "You still wanna find her?" His voice was quiet, more vulnerable than she'd ever heard it.

"Yeah, I do. And as soon as this barn shit is taken care of we'll go out and look for her."

He nodded and bashfully looked down at his feet, embarrassed that he'd acted so emotional in front of her. She walked towards him, now standing right in front of him. She placed her hand on his arm. He immediately tensed, her close proximity making him more nervous than he thought was possible.

"You should go." He said coldly. It would be so much easier if they weren't friends, if he didn't have to talk to her and end up liking her even more. Daryl Dixon did not do relationships, he barely even talked to woman, let alone ones that actually cared about him, ones he could actually have an enjoyable conversation with.

Rhiannon's face hardened. Her grip on his arm tightened, keeping him from walking away. He shrugged her off, his glare boring into her. _Goddamn, why won't this girl just let it go?_

"I told you to stop that." She snapped at him through gritted teeth. "You can't just push people away because they care about you. You have to accept the fact that you're part of the group and people actually give a shit about you."

Daryl just stared at her blankly, he had nothing to say because in his mind it wasn't true.

Rhiannon had a conflicted look on her face, like she didn't know whether or not to even try and get through to him. She sighed. This was Daryl, of course she needed to try. He made her feel things, things she thought she felt for a certain ex before he went crazy.

But Daryl was different and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore what he made her feel or how right it felt to being with him.

"I know what it's like to feel like you don't deserve the trust or affection people give you. But you don't get to decide what other people feel for you." She told him angrily, poking him in the chest making him stumble a few steps back.

A lump formed in her throat. She thought of her father and sisters, Patricia and Otis, the people who never failed to be there for her even when she didn't particularly want them to be. They all tried so hard to be there for her but she'd always refused their advances. She wanted to be the one to fix her own problems.

After the terrible things she'd done as a kid, which led her straight to boarding school, she never understood how her father could still love her so dearly and care for her like he did. She didn't understand why Maggie and Beth looked up to her, but they did. She couldn't control what they felt for her but she sure as hell didn't know why.

Her cheeks held a faint blush at what she'd just revealed to the hunter in front of her. She swallowed and took a step back from him after realizing how close they'd gotten. She didn't mean to be so personal but it just slipped out in hopes that he'd finally understand that he wasn't alone.

 _Too bad, asshole, I care about you_ , is what she really wanted to say but she was far too sober for that.

He looked at her in bewilderment, he couldn't believe that she felt like that. In his eyes, she deserved everything in the world she wanted. She was so good and pure all the while going through shit that made life hell for her.

That was the difference between the two of them - Daryl had a shitty childhood and therefore acted like a dick to everybody. Rhiannon on the other hand, became a person that gave until she had nothing left to make up for what she'd done in her childhood.

"You think those people give a shit 'bout me?" Daryl asked bitterly. No matter what Rhiannon said, it would never be enough to convince him that he mattered to the group. Sure he hunted and brought food back and he was a strong fighter but that didn't mean they were eager to sit around the fire with him and have a nice chat. Just the thought of that made Daryl sneer in disgust.

"Yeah, they do. I do too." Rhiannon said shyly though she refused to look away from him. She noticed how vulnerable he seemed in this moment. It wasn't her time to be shy, she had to make him realize.

"Why?" He was barely able to get out the word, his throat felt like it was constricting, like he wasn't able to breathe. He had to give her credit, he was nowhere near confident enough to tell people what he really thought. Yet another reason why he was so drawn to her.

"Because you're flawed and you don't try to hide it and you don't make me feel like shit for being flawed too."

Daryl finally looked up at her, their eyes meeting in an intense stare. It was like a challenge of who would look away first. Rhiannon finally did, casting her gaze to the ground and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Something she does when she's nervous, Daryl had noticed.

She cleared her throat, finally gaining the courage to speak once again. "You're not gonna ask about what I said?"

She really didn't want him to ask about why she said she didn't deserve people's trust but judging by the look he had on his face when she'd said it, he was curious.

Daryl shook his head, looking down at his feet. "You didn't ask me 'bout my scars." He shrugged, wishing he could turn and walk away the second he mentioned them. "Shit happens that you don't wanna bring up."

Rhiannon smiled shyly at him. _Damn him_ , she thought to herself. It was usually so easy to ignore or hide how she felt for him because she doubted he even knew what flirting was but he was really making it difficult now.

Daryl felt the exact same way. It was easy to just ignore how smitten he was becoming with her but she'd once again proved herself to be loyal, someone that didn't scare easy, no matter how much he lashed out. She was someone who could talk him off the ledge, probably the only person that could who Daryl wouldn't hold a grudge against.

She was becoming a constant in his life while at the same time becoming something so unfamiliar to Daryl. He'd never had these strange feelings before, he just avoided women all together, well, mostly _all_ people. But she was slowly cracking his shell and he found that he actually didn't mind. He liked talking to her, he liked spending time with her, hell, he actually found it amusing when she teased him. He liked to give her a hard time because he knew she could handle it and give it right back to him without getting upset or taking it the wrong way.

"C'mon, I wanna show you something."

Rhiannon grabbed his hand, a wide smile on her face at noticing the shocked look on his face as he looked down at their hands that held each others. The pair walked in silence, their hands still locked together as they made their way through the trees. Daryl swallowed thickly. He didn't even pay attention to where she was taking him and the thought of walkers was the last thing on his mind. All he could think about was her hand in his and the way her soft skin felt against his rough, worked hands.

He didn't know how long they were walking for, he literally couldn't concentrate on anything else but her.

They soon arrived at a small lake with a worn down dock that half leered into the water. Rhiannon finally let go of his hand, much to Daryl's disappointment, and stepped onto the dock. A loud creaking sound was heard under the weight of her feet, breaking the peaceful silence that surrounded them.

Daryl panicked slightly and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to the grassy ground. Now it was Rhiannon's turn to look shellshocked. His protective nature made butterflies erupt in her belly.

All of her other boyfriends were never caring like that, some of them were even more self destructive than she was.

She suddenly tensed, realizing she was comparing Daryl to her previous boyfriends. _Jesus, if he was inside my head right now he'd run for the hills_.

"I used to come here a lot before I moved." She said, moving around to the other side of the lake where the large bushes of flowers were. Daryl followed silently, yelling at himself to keep his eyes above her head and not any lower. That was certainly a dangerous game.

"There's no houses for miles so no one really cared who got to use it." She suddenly laughed, a bright sound that could make any man, no matter how jaded, smile like he was the happiest man on the planet. "I used to sneak out at night to go swimming. Maggie caught me once and blackmailed me into taking her the next time I went."

Daryl eyed her thoughtfully, noticing the somber expression on her face as she mentioned her family. Her eyes held the same sad look as when she'd mentioned the affection she didn't think she deserved.

"I was like that with Merle."

Rhiannon looked up at him with wide eyes, shocked that he'd bring up his lost brother. The last time they had a conversation about him it didn't end well.

"I wanted to do everythin' he was doin'. Drove him crazy." Daryl smirked, remembering how riled up Merle would get when he would follow him around with the other kids in the neighbourhood.

Rhiannon smiled at him. "Well thank god you didn't turn out like him." She joked.

Daryl felt like he'd been electrocuted, like his whole body had been resuscitated from a long coma. He'd gone through his whole life thinking he was a carbon copy of his brother, although he wasn't exactly the ladies man that he was and he certainly didn't touch some of the drugs his brother had been using. But he thought he was just as much of a redneck asshole as Merle was.

But to hear Rhiannon say it, and so casually, like it was so simple to understand, it made him feel like maybe things were different. He was finally thinking differently and it was like seeing in colour for the first time.

It wasn't so often that Daryl was paid a compliment and it was even less often that he actually believed it. But coming from the young blonde in front of him who smiled at him so genuinely, it was impossible not to believe it.

 _What the fuck is she doing to me?_ , He thought to himself. In fear or excitement, he didn't know yet.

"Why'd you wanna show me this place?" He asked, looking around the area. It was beautiful but he didn't understand why she'd been so eager to show him.

"This." She pointed to the thicket of green in front of them where multiple Cherokee roses bloomed. "This place always had the most roses, I wanted to make sure it was still here. It might be stupid but I think it's a sign."

"It ain't stupid." He told her simply, no coldness or hostility in tone whatsoever. He was just Daryl now, the real Daryl, someone Rhiannon was finally glad to see. "We're gonna find her."

Rhiannon nodded, "I know we will." She couldn't help the triumphant smile that grew, she knew she could get through to Daryl and she was damn proud that she could. She suddenly turned to him, making him look down at her. Their height difference was surely comical. "You should bring Carol here."

Daryl suddenly felt embarrassed that Rhiannon knew about his outburst and what he'd said to Carol. He regretted how he'd talked to her but he was just still so mad at Shane, he would've lashed out to anyone, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rhiannon noticed his body language, he was even more closed off than normal. She winced, hoping they hadn't just taken five steps backwards.

"She's scared." She assured him, making him look at her while he chewed on his thumbnail, a nervous tick she'd noticed. "You should show her the flowers, give her back the hope she lost."

Daryl nodded at her, trying desperately to ignore the pull he felt in his chest. "Thanks." He mumbled almost shyly.

Rhiannon didn't smile, she knew Daryl was still beating himself up about what happened. And the fact that they still hadn't found Sophia was a big blow to his confidence, not that he had much in the first place.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up too much. We're all going out of our minds here, you aren't the only one who needs to let off a little steam."

"I was a dick." He said harshly, running a hand through his growing hair.

Rhiannon shrugged. "We can all be a little dickish sometimes, that doesn't make you special."

Daryl snorted and nudged her lightly with his arm. He felt himself smile at her but quickly stopped it before she could see him so elated by her.

"C'mon, we should get back." She motioned with her head and they began to walk, Daryl slightly behind her, his hands clutching his bow tightly. He was now more aware of his surroundings and was ready to protect her if he needed to. Not that she really needed it, it was more for his benefit.

Rhiannon raked a hand through her long hair, tangled by the wind. That was when Daryl noticed the red skin on her elbow. His hand shot out like a bullet, latching onto her arm tightly. She jumped, startled by his touch.

Daryl stared at the irritated skin, his nostrils flaring in anger as he took in a deep breath, trying to calm the raging bull inside of him. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." He growled.

Rhiannon put her hands on his arms, stopping him. "Daryl, you can't. If he knows you know he'll flip out."

"I don't give a shit!" He yelled in her face. "Can't let him do this to you."

"He's not gonna do anything to me." Rhiannon hissed at him, feeling her patience beginning to waver. They just talked about this a couple of nights ago, she thought they were on the same page but clearly not.

"Damn right he won't. 'M not gonna let him touch you, not again." Daryl looked into her eyes. The brown orbs mesmerized him, he didn't even notice how close they were, or how he was still holding onto her arm tightly.

"I know you won't."

Daryl shook his head, taking a few steps back from her as he began to pace. He blamed himself. Shane knocked her down, hurt her right in front of him. He was powerless to stop it and he just watched it happen. The fear he saw in her eyes haunted him, it was like a knife in the chest.

"Daryl, just stop."

"No! Rhiannon, he hurt you, in front of everyone. What the hell's he gonna do when he gets you alone?"

The eldest Greene felt her breathing hitch. She'd only ever heard him say her name a couple of times but it sparked something inside her each time. When some people spoke her melodic name it was like dripping honey, but when he said it it was gruff, like a low growl and she _loved_ it.

"I'm not going near him, I won't let him get close." Rhiannon said confidently. Daryl stared at her, his chest heaving with each breath.

She doubted anything she said would calm him down so she decided to do something she hadn't done before. She walked in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist - she would have had to go on her tiptoes to get her arms around his neck and that would just be embarrassing. She felt him tense against her but she didn't relent, her arms stayed wrapped around him tightly.

Daryl was frozen like a marble statue. His hands hovered in the air, uncertain of where to place them. He slowly lowered them, trying to ignore the way they trembled slightly. He placed his hands on her back, holding her in a lose grip that paled in comparison to the tight hold she had on him.

He wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought he would be. He couldn't remember the last time he hugged someone, and a drunk Merle didn't count. It was probably his mom while she sang that song she loved. _Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?_

His palms began to sweat as his nerves seemed to reach their peak. Her head rested against his chest, he found it adorable how small she was but it also scared him half to death. He couldn't imagine someone as small as her fighting off walkers. But somehow she managed. She was an enigma to him, someone so complex and surprising.

The scent of her fruity shampoo invaded his senses. He swore he started to feel lightheaded. He coughed slightly as she pulled away slowly. She craned her neck to look up at him, a small smile on her face.

Daryl looked like a nervous wreck. He avoided eye contact and instead looked down at his boots. The sound of her light laugh made him close his eyes. _God dammit would she just stop it already?_ He felt like he'd embarrassed himself enough for one day.

"Come on, Tinman." Rhiannon said, grabbing his hand once again.

Daryl couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. Leave it to her to crack a joke at the height of his anxiety. He couldn't deny it though, it worked. He calmed down instantly, so relieved she didn't dwell on the moment they just had.

"Right behind you, Tink."

Rhiannon looked back at him with shocked amusement. _Did he really just make a joke?_ She laughed and shook her head. Once again feeling pleased with herself that the big bad Daryl Dixon had a nickname for her and she was starting to love it.

He let her lead him back to camp, her hand still held tightly in his. For the first time in a long time it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He wished he could stay in this moment forever.

Being with her was comforting. Which was a feeling he never had with anyone.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update! I'm going on a trip soon and planning is very stressful. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's more Daryl fluff coming and well, you know what else is coming. ALSO… little spoiler alert... First kiss coming soon! AHHH**

 **Thanks for the reviews, you guys make my day! xx**


	11. Chapter 11

Every couple of steps they took Daryl's gaze fell to their hands that were intertwined. They were almost back to camp and had been walking for a while, almost an hour, all the while their hands still in each other's hold. Rhiannon didn't seem to notice, she kept the conversation going, paying no mind to the thoughtful gesture that made Daryl's nerves go haywire.

"How can number four not be your favourite?" Rhiannon looked up at him, a wide smile on her face. Daryl felt his lips quirk up in a half smile. He didn't think he'd ever be able to have a conversation about the music he liked with a girl like her. He'd definitely been pleasantly surprised when she asked him what his favourite Led Zeppelin album had been.

"I dunno, It just ain't."

"But Stairway to Heaven's on it."

Daryl fought the urge to laugh at her, she was acting like he just told her he didn't like dogs or something outrageous. "That ain't my favourite song." He shrugged.

"Then what is your favourite song?"

Daryl shrugged, staying silent. No one had ever asked him what his favourite song was or his favourite movie, no one had ever cared enough to get to know the little details about him, or anything at all. It was sad that a question as simple as that caught him off guard.

"What's wrong?" Rhiannon asked, noticing the vacant expression on his face. "Are you gonna tell me you really don't listen to Zeppelin and your favourite song is by ABBA?"

Daryl couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. The sound made Rhiannon smile, knowing it was a rarity and she was special that she was able to hear it.

"Fuck no. I just…" He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "No one's ever tried to get to know me like this...no one's ever cared enough to ask." His voice was low, his eyes staring ahead, not wanting to look at Rhiannon and see the look of pity on her face. He scolded himself mentally for sounding so whiny and weak.

"Well they don't know what they're missing." Rhiannon spoke casually. Daryl looked down at her with his mouth agape slightly. Defending him and making him feel better was like second nature to her it seemed.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly, giving him a shy smile. She knew what she was doing to him and the look on his face made her feel almost embarrassed. She didn't think anyone had ever looked at her like that - like she was someone so special. Rhiannon could tell he was embarrassed too. Daryl didn't strike her as a suave lady's man.

That actually did make her feel special, knowing Daryl was different with her than the rest of the group.

Little did she know he was different with her than anyone else he'd ever met. _She_ was the that was slowly breaking his hard shell, _she_ was the one to show him that getting close to someone was maybe not all that bad.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence. They were at ease with each other and didn't feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless, forced conversation. Before they had talked about nothing of importance but it was so natural, it was just them getting to know each other, well, more Rhiannon getting to know little details of Daryl's life like what his favourite food was or when he learned to ride a motorcycle.

Daryl was still far too reserved to begin to ask her about her life. It was still out of his comfort zone to outwardly show affection or general interest, but he figured he was willing to try for her.

As he looked down at his hand that held hers, he realized that maybe pushing himself out of comfort zone wasn't entirely a bad thing. It was quite scary at first for him to make contact with her but she didn't seem bothered by it, she actually initiated it and that made him calmer somehow.

The two of them bit their lips, trying to stop from smiling like idiots. They both felt something intense between them but neither dared to bring it up. Rhiannon was a confident woman, but not _that_ confident. Usually she had no problem talking to men, they fell at her feet with one smile. But Daryl was different, he was more special than some douchebag in a bar who just wanted to get laid.

They emerged from the thicket of trees, the RV coming into sight with Glenn sitting on top with a shotgun in his hands. Daryl immediately pulled his hand away from Rhiannon's grasp. He felt himself deflate at the loss of contact with her soft skin but he couldn't let the rest of the group see them like that. Those people were gossips and he didn't want them to get the wrong idea. Surely, they saw him as an idiot for thinking he could be with a girl like her. He was positive everyone knew she was out of his league.

Rhiannon frowned but kept quiet. She had a feeling if she prodded Daryl about it he'd end up lashing out. He'd really surprised her today, especially when he hugged her back, she didn't want to push him in the wrong direction.

Daryl took a slight step to the side, creating a bigger distance between them. He found himself longing for the feel of her hair brushing against his arm in the breeze.

He could feel her gaze on him as they walked closer to camp but he refused to look at her.

"Good luck with Carol." She spoke suddenly, stopping in her spot next to the RV. "And remember what I said, you're part of the group, we all want you here."

Daryl gave her a slow nod, biting the inside of his cheek. "Good luck with..all that." He said, turning his head to look at the barn that was being guarded by Andrea.

Rhiannon frowned, she'd forgotten about all the drama that awaited her back in the house. She wished she could just stay with Daryl for the day, he truly did make her forget everything that has been stressing her out.

Daryl grabbed her arm, gently pulling her closer to him. Her breathing hitched as he leaned down, this was the closest they'd ever been. She could see the vibrant blue of his eyes clear as day and it made her stomach flip with excitement.

"Stay away from Shane ok?" He spoke quietly, his voice a low growl. Rhiannon suppressed the shiver that ran down her spine. All she could do was nod in response. "See ya later?"

Once again she nodded wordlessly, a touched look on her face. He really did care about her. Before she could stop herself she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, the stubble scratching her lips. To her, it was the best feeling in the world. She let her lips linger for a few seconds before pulling away.

She smiled up at him, noticing the shocked expression on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it and dropped his head to avoid her gaze but not before she noticed the redness on his cheeks.

"I'll see you later." She spoke quietly, giving him one last thoughtful glance before turning and walking back to the house. It stood before her menacingly. She feared there'd be a confrontation the second she entered.

A loud sigh left her lips at what awaited her. She turned around and saw Daryl standing where she left him, his gaze was fixed on her with the same perplexed expression. She giggled slightly and gave him a small wave making him awkwardly wave back.

Daryl couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she walked away. It felt like his whole body had been lit on fire. His breathing stuttered as he took in a deep breath. _Gotta find Carol_ , he reminded himself, trying his best to push the thoughts of Rhiannon from his mind. It was highly unlikely but worth a shot anyways.

He spared her one last glance, a small smirk working it's way onto his face. He ran his hand through his hair. That girl was doing things to him he didn't think was possible.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself before finally moving from his spot to find Carol.

He just hoped his fierce blush was gone by the time he found her.

* * *

As soon as the eldest Greene daughter shut the front door behind her she could hear soft crying coming from the kitchen. Rhiannon slowly crept across the room, trying not to make any noise. She peered around the corner and frowned as she saw Beth sitting at the table with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with each of her heart breaking sobs.

It was absolutely devastating to see her like this. Beth had always been very emotional and it used to make Rhiannon uncomfortable until she realized that just made it worse. Beth wanted her big sister, her idol. So she stopped being a bitch and made sure to be there for her little sister.

She walked in silence, only gaining Beth's attention when she pulled out the chair beside her. She looked up at her big sister with teary eyes which only served to make Rhiannon feel even worse.

"You ok?" She asked, grabbing her hands in hers.

Beth shook her head, her face creasing as she tried to hold back her cries. "Do you think they're gonna kill everyone in the barn?" Her quiet voice shook with each word.

Rhiannon winced, she really didn't want to have to be the one to explain to Beth the whole walker situation. "Beth, they're not people anymore, they're dangerous. If they got out…" She shook her head, not allowing herself to finish the sentence. Beth getting hurt was unfathomable, she couldn't let it happen.

"But it's mom and Shawn!" Beth yelled, the tears continuing to fall down her flushed cheeks. "It's like losing them all over again."

Rhiannon stayed silent, she didn't have any words of comfort. They were walkers, end of story. They should have been taken care of before they turned. It was hard to give her any kind of advice when they didn't agree on how to handle walkers, it made it even harder that Rhiannon was a total bitch to both her stepmother and stepbrother who were Beth's biological family.

She was surprised Beth didn't hate her for that.

Rhiannon looked up as Patricia suddenly walked into the kitchen, her gaze falling on a crying Beth. She sent the older woman a pleading look to which she nodded understandingly and sat down on the other side of her baby sister.

"Oh, Honey. Come here." Patricia spoke lovingly, wrapping her arms around the young girl, allowing Beth to cry on her shoulder.

Rhiannon watched with a dejected expression. She couldn't even comfort her own sister, just add that to the list of things she'd done wrong to her family.

The chair scraped on the floor as she stood but neither Beth or Patricia seemed to notice. It was like her heart was disintegrating in her chest, she'd never felt so helpless before. Her little sister always came to her when she was upset but now she couldn't do anything to help her. She'd failed once again.

Her footsteps were light as she walked out of the kitchen, not sparing a second glance at her distraught sister.

She let out a shaky breath as she stood outside, closing her eyes as a calming breeze ran over her. _What else could go wrong today?_

* * *

"You see it?" Daryl asked, looking behind him as Carol followed.

"See what?"

Daryl pointed to the thicket of bushes where the Cherokee Rose stood, the only symbol of hope they had. "We'll find her."

Carol swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the stinging of tears she felt in her eyes. "How did you find this?" She practically whispered, not trusting her voice not to crack with emotion if she raised it any louder.

"Rhiannon showed me." A hint of a smile appeared on his face without even realizing it.

Carol looked over at him, not even trying to hide her smile. She nodded slowly, turning her gaze back to the flowers as Daryl looked back at her. She didn't want to embarrass the poor guy but he made it so easy. His affection for the farmer's daughter was probably the cutest thing she'd ever seen. It made her happy that the two damaged people could find happiness with each other.

Daryl felt his cheeks warm with a blush at Carol's knowing smile. He was just thankful she hadn't asked any questions about Rhiannon, Daryl would have been a stuttering mess for sure.

Daryl could almost hear Rhiannon's voice in his head. _Just apologize you dick, stop wasting time_.

He cleared his throat. "Hey, I'm sorry about what happened this morning."

Carol smiled sadly. "You wanted to look for her." She paused, her gaze on the flowers in front of her. "Why?"

It was the same with Rhiannon, she couldn't understand why the two of them were so hell bent on helping her. "This whole time I've wanted to ask you. You and Rhiannon don't owe me anything."

Daryl looked over at Carol and it was rare that she ever saw him without a scowl on his face. The look he gave her was something she'd never seen before - he had hope.

"I think she's still out there, we both do, and we're gonna keep lookin'."

Carol smiled at him, feeling a lump in her throat.

"Truth is, what else I got to do?" He shrugged. Looking for Sophia gave him a purpose, like it finally gave him a reason to be anything other than the selfish redneck asshole he was sure everyone thought he was. There was also the small matter of spending hours on end with a certain someone but there was no way in hell he would mention that.

Carol stepped forward, running her fingers over the soft petals of the flower. "We'll find her. You and Rhiannon make a good team. I have all the confidence in the world." She looked back at him, trying not to show the teasing smile that was threatening to grow.

Daryl's eyes widened at her words. He nodded slowly, his lips quirking up ever so slightly, hardly enough for Carol to notice.

"I'm glad we found her. She's done so much for all of us." She spoke, reveling in the awkwardness that surrounded Daryl. He just looked down at his shoes, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Sophia would love her, she always wanted to be a dancer." Her voice turned somber as she thought of her daughter.

Daryl noticed the look on her face and frowned. He couldn't let her lose hope again. "Rhiannon's gonna love her too." He spoke, making sure not to use past tense that would imply it would never happen.

Carol let out a small laugh and placed a hand over her mouth to hide her growing smile. She nodded at him with tears in her eyes.

She really did have so much faith in them.

* * *

Rhiannon tried to ignore the people around her but it was no use. Carl sat beside her as he played checkers against Patricia. Beth sat beside her, looking better than she had before, all thanks to Patricia.

It was bittersweet to see her like that. She was happy Beth was ok but seeing her just reminded Rhiannon that she wasn't the one to make her feel better.

"Can I put that one there?" Carl asked her, holding the black game piece in his hand.

"Uh sure, why not?"

Patricia laughed. "Honey, you can't move it there."

Carl sighed and gave her a pleading look, silently asking her for help. Rhiannon shrugged, she had no idea how to play this game and she had a lot on her mind so it was really hard to act like she gave a shit about a game of checkers. But the way Carl looked at her so hopefully made her stay and humour him.

"She's probably just saying that so she wins." She joked making Carl laugh. He put the game piece where she pointed making Patricia laugh and roll her eyes.

"Damn it. Isn't anybody takin' this seriously? We got us a damn trail." Daryl's voice snapped caught her attention. She put a hand on Carl's head, giving him a look that told him to stay where he was.

She walked down the porch steps towards him but he wasn't looking at her. Her steps faltered as she saw Shane walking towards them, the bag of guns her father had forbidden hung over his shoulder.

Just the sight of him made her blood turn cold. She stepped closer to Maggie who gave her a worried look. This didn't look good.

"What's all this?"

"You with me, Man?" Shane asked, holding out a gun for Daryl to take. "Time to grow up. You already got yours?" He asked Andrea.

"Yeah. Where's Dale?" She asked with hesitation.

Rhiannon noticed the way Dale glared at Shane, she doubted he knew just how bad he really was but the older man was definitely suspicious. That alone meant Rhiannon could trust him, it meant he had good judgement.

Her eyes shifted to Daryl who held the gun in his hands confidently but his face looked anything but. He looked at her with worry, he had a feeling this wasn't going to end well and he didn't want to get kicked off the farm and leave her.

Shane grabbed another shotgun from the bag and practically threw it at Rhiannon. A small grunt escaped her lips as it hit her in the chest. She caught it in time before it hit the ground and she gave Shane a deep glare.

Carol eyed Shane suspiciously, her brows furrowing even deeper at the way the ex cop sneered at the young woman.

Daryl grit his teeth, Shane had a lot of nerve to treat her like that in front of everyone. He wished he could get him alone and beat the shit out of him. He looked over at Rhiannon as Shane made his speech about protecting themselves and he couldn't help but smirk at the death glare she was giving him. That girl was certainly a spitfire.

He stepped forward, ready to tear Shane apart when he noticed Rhiannon rub her collarbone where the gun had hit her. That's twice today Shane had hurt her and he wasn't going to stand for it.

Rhiannon shook her head at him with wide eyes. He sighed and gave a slight nod, staying in his place.

Carol noticed their exchange and gave Daryl a confused look to which he ignored. She knew there was something going on between Rhiannon and Shane and it looked like Daryl knew.

Shane approached Maggie after giving Glenn a gun making Rhiannon stiffen, she didn't want him anywhere near her sister.

"Can you shoot?"

"Can you stop? You do this, you hand out these guns, my Dad will make you leave tonight." Maggie spoke defiantly.

Rhiannon had to give her credit, she could stand up to the man no problem. It worried her though, she didn't want Maggie to underestimate how far Shane was willing to go to get what he wanted.

Her eyes met Daryl's once again. He looked down suddenly, he couldn't stand to see the sad look on her face.

"Now look, Hershel, He's just gotta understand. Ok- He's just gonna have to."

Rhiannon couldn't ignore the threatening undertones of his voice. "And if he doesn't?" She asked him coldly, earning a glare from him.

"He will." Shane growled, suddenly wishing he was alone with her. She'd been a thorn in his side about this whole situation and he was sick of it.

Rhiannon saw the look on his face and took a step back, putting more distance between them.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Shane try to give a gun to Carl. She knew he needed to learn to protect himself but he was still just a kid and if Shane was doing what everyone was thinking he was doing, there was no way she wanted Carl killing a bunch of walkers that stepped out of the barn. She didn't want the kid taking out her family.

She was so thankful that Lori stepped in. Despite the relationship she knew Lori had with Shane, she was glad the woman was able to stand up to him, it seemed like she'd had enough of his bullshit too.

"Oh shit." T-Dog's worried voice made everyone snap out of their thoughts and look to where he was pointing.

"What the fuck?" Rhiannon whispered as she saw her father and Rick holding walkers while Jimmy guided them.

The whole group started to run, following behind Shane who was sprinting with a fury that scared the crap out of her. An angry Shane was completely unpredictable and she didn't like where this was going.

The gun in her hands felt as heavy as a cinder block when she noticed the pointed look her father gave her when he saw it. If he was disappointed in her before, this would surely put her over the edge. Her breathing was shaky, she ran a hand through her tangled hair. This was all just too much.

Listening to Shane yell was pushing her close to a panic attack. She wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying, it was like white noise to her. All she could hear was her rapid heart beat.

She stumbled back as one of the walkers attached to the pole swung its arms out, barely missing her. Maggie grabbed her arm, pulling her close to her so she wouldn't lose her footing. Daryl raised his gun, aiming at the walker that almost touched her. He snarled, keeping his aim on it if it got too close again.

The sound of a gunshot snapped her back to reality, she couldn't afford to freak out now. Maggie ducked, a choked sob leaving her throat. Rhiannon placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing tightly.

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that? Why is it still coming?" Shane brought his gun up and shot again.

Normally, Rhiannon wouldn't even flinch at someone shooting a walker, but this was different. Shane wasn't putting it out of its misery, he was putting on a show. The look on her family's faces were heartbreaking. Beth cried in Jimmy's arms and the horrified look on her Dad's face made her want to cry.

"Shane, enough!" Rick yelled, noticing how distraught Hershel was.

"Yeah, you're right, man. That is enough."

Shane shot the walker in the head, finally ending its life. Hershel kept his grip on the snare pole, falling down to his knees with the corpse.

Rhiannon placed her hand over her mouth, her shoulders slouching with defeat as she watched her Dad. She wanted him to come to terms with reality, but not like this. Shane was making it more brutal than she could've imagined.

Maggie grabbed onto her hand tightly, giving her a look of despair. Rhiannon just stared blankly, she honestly had nothing to say, she could barely process what was happening. Sure, she was glad the walker was killed like it should've been but she couldn't help but feel remorse. Her family was hurting and it overpowered everything else in her mind.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl that's gone!"

Rhiannon sneered at Shane's words, anger suddenly taking over every other emotion she felt. She looked back at Carol who had silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She gave her a sympathetic look, wishing she could just get Shane to shut the fuck up.

She turned her attention back as Rick started yelling - Shane was trying to break the lock. Her body tensed and her grip tightened on the gun she was holding. Maggie pulled her arm and gave her a pleading look.

"Don't." She whispered desperately, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Maggie," Rhiannon choked out, a conflicted look on her face.

She needed to protect her family but she couldn't very well be apart of the slaughter that would inevitably shun the group from the farm. But it was their lives on the line and she would be damned if she sat back and did nothing. Rhiannon looked at Maggie and shook her head, she made her decision.

She stepped forward, aiming the gun at the doors. She needed to protect her family, that was all that mattered.

The barn doors opened and the first walker stumbled out into the sunlight. Her face was hard as a rock as she focused on the threat that was growing in numbers. She took a deep breath and moved her finger to the trigger.

It wasn't until the familiar sight of Annette stepped out into view that she faltered. She let out a broken gasp and stumbled back, the gun falling from her hands. Her eyes locked onto the cold, grey eyes of her dead stepmother and then another gunshot tore through the air. Rhiannon flinched as the body fell.

That was the first walker she'd known. The first person that meant something to her that became an undead monster.

"Hey! Get back." Daryl shouted, now standing in front of her, blocking her from the view of the slaughter.

"Go!" He yelled, holding her shoulders and gently pushing her backwards. The shocked look on her face made his chest ache and the way she just stood there as the walkers got closer scared the hell out of him.

Maggie grabbed her, hugging her tightly and nodded to Daryl, letting him know she could take care of her sister. He nodded and jogged back to his place on the front line.

The shooting finally stopped and all that was left was the sound of the Greene family crying. Rhiannon didn't let any tears fall though, she was shocked into numbness.

Daryl turned, his gaze meetings hers. He worried that she blamed him, that she was upset that he'd been apart of it. But there was no anger in her face, in fact there was no expression on her face at all, it was just blank. That worried him even more.

He started to walk towards her, wanting to make sure she was ok. He doubted they'd have much time left on the farm after what just happened and he wanted to get in as much time with her as possible before he left.

The sound of shuffling feet made him stop. He turned and focused back on the barn. There was one more.

Rhiannon tensed, wondering who would walk out of the barn. Her aunt, her childhood dance teacher, her best friend from middle school?

A little girl stumbled into view, snarling at the people in front of her. Her shoulders deflated at the sight of her. She couldn't watch another child die.

A sob was heard from behind her. "Sophia?"

Carol's voice was the a knife in the chest. Rhiannon's mouth dropped open and a shaky breath left her mouth. Carol ran towards her daughter only to be stopped by Daryl who looked just as shocked as she felt. His eyes met hers briefly before he glanced down at Carol, telling her not to look.

This was Sophia, this was the girl she'd been looking for day after day and she'd been in her backyard the whole fucking time. She placed a hand over her heart that beat rapidly. Loud pants left her mouth and Maggie's arms tightened around her, pulling her in even closer.

Rhiannon turned her head as Rick stepped forward. She knew what he needed to do and she couldn't watch it. Maggie placed a hand on the back of her head, running her fingers through her long blonde hair comfortingly. It always used to be Rhiannon doing that for Maggie.

The gunshot startled her, making her whole body jump. The sound of Carol's cries only made her feel worse. A mother had just lost her child and once again, she was powerless to do anything.

She'd failed again.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! More shit about to go down in the next one, and it is juicy! And shout out to Dawnie-7 for giving me the best review I've ever gotten. It made me so giddy and smile so much xx**

 **Thanks for reading and thanks for your comments!**


	12. Chapter 12

The tension in the air was suffocating. Carol's cries were the only thing to be heard. It made every single one of them want to cry themselves, and some of them were. Even a cold hearted person like Shane felt bad about what had happened.

Rhiannon finally lifted her head from Maggie's shoulder, pulling away slightly to look at the damage around her. Dozens of bodies lay on the ground, blood splattered from the wounds on their heads. The small child she saw broke her heart. Sophia. The poor girl never even had a chance.

"Don't look." Daryl told Carol, trying to shield her view of her daughter that lay dead before her as he pulled her back to her feet.

Carol just cried harder and pushed out of his grip, stomping away from him.

"Carol," Rhiannon called out softly through the lump in her throat that threatened her with tears. The older woman paid her no mind and rushed away from the prying eyes of the group. She needed her time alone to grieve and Rhiannon would respect that, no matter how much she desperately wanted to comfort the woman.

Now the only thing that could be heard as Carol left was the sound of Beth crying. The girl had just seen her undead mother and brother get shot in the head, there was no way to recover from that.

Rhiannon didn't even try and reach out for Beth as she walked past her. She wanted to be with her mother, she couldn't blame her. Rick, however, tried to stop her as she walked but Beth shrugged him off. He turned to Rhiannon, raising his eyebrows in question. The blonde shook her head, they had to let Beth have a proper moment to say goodbye.

Rick nodded subtly, his face suddenly turning forlorn. He wanted to ramble on how sorry he was, how he wished this had never happened, how he wished there was more he could have done to stop it.

Again, she shook her head at him, letting him know he didn't need to apologize. He certainly wasn't to blame for what had happened. Rhiannon could feel a fiery gaze on her but she kept her eyes away, knowing it was Shane. He was probably hoping she'd blow up at him so he'd have a reason to knock her down again.

Rhiannon tried to maintain her stoic expression as she watched Beth drag a body off her mother but she couldn't help the tremble in her lips. It wasn't even _her_ mother - it was Annette, the woman she'd never even given a chance. And knowing it was too late to ever make amends left a heavy feeling in her chest.

Beth turned her mother over on her back, a choking sob leaving her throat at the sight of her grey, wrinkled skin. It broke her heart to see her like that. Suddenly the lifeless eyes opened, a low growl was heard and her mother reached up to grip at her hair.

"Beth!" Rhiannon shrieked, sprinting towards her baby sister who screamed in terror as cold hands ran over her skin, desperate to get a bite.

The screams followed behind her as everyone ran to her aid. She wrapped her arms around Beth from behind, trying to pull her from the grasp of her used to be mother that was trying to kill her. Rick was by her side, gripping Beth tightly.

She grit her teeth as she used all her strength to pull her away. Finally, Beth collapsed in her arms, turning her body so she could hide her face in the crook of her older sister's neck, where she felt safe.

Rhiannon felt a strong pair of hands on her shoulders. She turned her head and saw Daryl, looking down at her with worried eyes. He knelt down beside her, gently placing his hand on her back to steady her as she pulled both herself and Beth to their feet.

She knew the gesture had been uncommon for him and probably made him uncomfortable and that made her appreciate it all the more.

Rhiannon soon made the mistake of tearing her eyes from Daryl and looked down at her stepmother that was being beaten on by T-Dog. She winced and held Beth tighter, keeping her close so she couldn't turn and see what was happening. The poor girl had seen enough today.

Hershel made his way to his girls who were huddled together. He walked on trembling legs, ignoring Maggie's grip on his shoulder that tried to stop him. He walked past his wife, not sparing a look down at her as she growled inhumanly at the people that tried to stop her. His eyes stayed focused on his eldest daughter who looked ready to pass out as she held on tightly to her little sister that shook with each sob.

He slowly wrapped his arms around both of them as not to startle them. Rhiannon still jumped slightly at his touch though. She turned her head to face him, her expression tearing away another piece of his broken heart in the exact same way his expression did to her.

"Dad." Rhiannon breathed, her voice weary and weak as she fought back tears. She wrapped one arm around his back, gently moving Beth to his embrace. Rhiannon feared she wouldn't stay standing much longer and she didn't want to bring Beth down with her. And with the look of devastation on her Dad's face she thought he needed his little angel that was Beth instead of the daughter that held the gun.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she turned her head at the same moment Andrea swung a scythe into her stepmother's head, finally ending her once and for all. She stumbled back, tripping on her own feet. Thankfully the familiar hands of Daryl gripped onto her shoulders once again, keeping her upright.

"It's ok." He whispered, having to bend slightly so his mouth was beside her head. If they were in any other situation he would've laughed and made fun of her for it.

Harsh pants left her mouth as she began to feel her resolve slipping. She placed her hand over Daryl's that lay on her shoulder. He tensed slightly at the contact but decided now was not the time to be a pussy. He cared about her comfort more than he cared about his own, she needed it more anyways. He squeezed lightly, feeling her relax against him. He hadn't realized how close they were, there was practically no space left between her back and his chest.

Hershel began to guide Beth back to the house as she continued to cry, Maggie, Jimmy and Patricia following along. Rhiannon sighed deeply and began to follow, glancing back at Daryl as she stepped away from him. She craved his attention, his touch, but her family needed her.

The eldest daughter walked a few steps behind her family. She didn't know where to even begin to comfort them. They knew she'd had different opinions, she just hoped they wouldn't hold that against her. She was grieving too, same as them.

Loud, stomping steps were heard from behind. Rhiannon turned and rolled her eyes at the sight of Shane, pushing past Rick who tried to stop him.

"We've been out. We've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along? You knew." Shane accused harshly.

"Leave us alone!" Maggie spat back at him.

Rick tried once again to stop Shane. No doubt Hershel wanted them gone and if Shane made it any worse, nothing Rick would say could change his mind, nothing could redeem them. He'd seen their faces, the family had been through enough today, they certainly didn't need Shane to make it worse.

"I didn't know." Hershel defended himself weakly. Beth was still cry softly in his arms, the last thing he wanted to deal with was the hot headed ex-cop.

"That's bullshit. I think y'all knew."

Rhiannon bit her lip so hard she was afraid she'd start to bleed. She knew how Shane felt about her and for her own safety she knew she'd better keep quiet but he was making it so damn difficult.

"You really think they'd let me go out there looking for her if they knew?" Rhiannon said harshly, refusing to turn and look at him. She probably would've cowered if she saw the glare he was giving her.

"Why was she there?"

"Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."

Rhiannon's throat went dry at her father's words. Shane's head whipped around to glare at her. He narrowed his eyes at her quizzically. She didn't tell her dad anything. She knew if she did, she'd be fucked, literally and figuratively.

Shane took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It took everything in him not to charge at the girl that instant. "You expect me to believe that. Do I look like an idiot to you?"

Rhiannon raised her eyebrows at that comment, giving a look as if to say 'well I didn't want to say it outloud, but yes.'

Daryl noticed the expression on her face and smirked lightly, giving her a halfhearted shake of his head. He didn't want Shane to see and flip out on her. Rhiannon shrugged, she really didn't give a fuck if he saw or not.

She suddenly tensed, the small amount of playfulness in her mind disappearing as Shane got closer to her father. She stepped closer, her fists clenching at her sides. _That asshole better not even think about going near him._

"Everybody just calm down." Rick pushed against Shane's chest, forcing him back. Daryl was quick to step up, making sure he was close enough to Shane that he could intervene if he needed to. Glenn just looked on nervously, hoping a fight wasn't about to break out.

"Get him off my land!" Hershel yelled, pointing at Shane.

That only seemed to aggravate the man further. Shane stepped forward, his eyes cold and hard as ice as he looked at Hershel. He thought of Lori, Carl, and that unborn baby. He would do anything to protect them, no matter what Rick thought.

"Hey! Don't touch him!" Maggie yelled in anger. Getting in between the two, she slapped him across the face.

Shane practically growled and turned to face her. Rhiannon saw the look in his eyes, it was one she was all too familiar with. Before Shane could even think of putting his hands on Maggie, Rhiannon kicked him in the shin.

Shane cried out in surprise, stumbling back a step. Rhiannon swiftly pulled her arm back and punched him in the nose. Shane gasped in pain and cradled his throbbing nose that had already began to gush with blood.

Her family looked at her in shock. Rick and Glenn had their mouths agape at watching the small woman physically hurt a man twice her size and with more muscle mass in his left arm than her whole body. Daryl bit his lip to quell his grin. _That's my girl,_ he thought to himself but quickly tensed at the thought. She wasn't his girl, no matter how much he'd thought of it.

Rhiannon watched a furious Shane shake the pins and needles out of his leg where she kicked him. She smiled triumphantly as he moved his hands away from him face, revealing his bloody nose.

She stepped up the porch stairs, having to stand on the third step so she was eye level with the man. It was ridiculous but it was the best she could do.

"Stay away from my family or next time I use my fucking sword."

Rick's eyes widened at her tone. He stepped in between them, giving her a pleading look. "Stop." He whispered desperately. Rhiannon looked down at him briefly with no emotion on her face. Rick was shocked, he'd never seen her so coldhearted before. Not that Shane didn't deserve it though.

Hershel grabbed his daughter's hand, pulling her up the steps. He was conflicted, he didn't want her to be violent in any way but he couldn't help the immense pride he had at seeing her stand up for him and her sisters.

Rhiannon let her father guide her to the house. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder she found Daryl's gaze. He had a hint of a smirk on his face from her actions but it slowly turned into a cold scowl at the realization that Shane may have just ruined everything for him.

"I mean it - off my land." Hershel stated, giving them all a stern look before turning his back on them and walking inside.

Rhiannon followed behind him but faltered at the door. She turned and gave Daryl a helpless look. She mouthed 'i'm sorry' before quickly turning and closing the door behind her. She couldn't see the look on his face, she didn't want to. Knowing him, he'd be just about ready to lash out at anyone that tried to talk to him.

She wished for more time with him, so she could know more about his life. Maybe one day she'd ask him about his scars and she could confide in him about her own. She knew if she had more time they'd become close, closer than she'd ever feel with anyone. Maybe they'd become something more. But know she'd never know, she'd never get the chance.

Rhiannon shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts of Daryl for the moment. She walked towards Beth, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"You held the gun." Her father's soft voice made her turn to look at him.

Her face creased in worry as she saw the haunted look on his face, the hurt in his eyes.

"You were going to shoot." His voice was distant, like he couldn't believe what he was saying. His eyes moved to look at her and she flinched at the accusatory look he gave her.

"I-I, didn't know what...to do, I just- I thought-"

"You were going to shoot your family."

Rhiannon had to grab onto the back of the couch so she didn't crumble to the floor. "Dad," She gasped, the tears finally flowing down her cheeks. Hershel looked at his daughter with a pained expression. He wanted to comfort her but he was too wrecked himself to do so. He shook his head slowly and left the room, leaving her to let out painful sobs.

"Rhi, come on." Maggie spoke softly, wrapping her arms around her. It hurt to see her big sister like that. She didn't think she'd ever seen Rhiannon cry, not as an adult at least.

Rhiannon shook her head, pusing out of Maggie's embrace. She looked to Beth who was in Patricia's arms, both of them had tears in their eyes. "I'm so sorry." Rhiannon gasped through her tears.

"Honey don't do that to yourself." Patricia warned her, already knowing she was putting the blame on herself. "Your Daddy's upset, he doesn't know what he's sayin'. Just give him some time."

"No, he's right. I almost shot them."

Maggie grabbed Rhiannon's shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "Almost, you _almost_ shot them but you didn't. And even if you did it would've been the right thing to do. They weren't the same as they were, they needed to be put out of their misery."

Rhiannon shook her head, moving out of Maggie's grasp again. She made her way to the door.

"Wait! Rhiannon, where are you going?" Beth asked, her voice cracking as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"I just need to clear my head." She told them quietly.

"Rhiannon! You're not leaving." Maggie yelled at her making Rhiannon look at her with wide eyes. "None of this was your fault and I'm not gonna let you take this on alone, I'm not gonna let you pull away. We need you."

Maggie watched with sad eyes as she watched her big sister fall apart in front of her. Rhiannon wiped her wet cheeks, silently cursing herself for letting them fall in the first place. "I don't know what to do." She cried helplessly.

Maggie frowned, holding her hands in hers tightly. "You don't have to do anything. It's not your responsibility to clean up the mess."

"No, about Dad. You saw how he looked at me. He's never gonna forgive me for what I did."

"Rhiannon, you know that's not true." Beth told her, hoping it made her sister feel better that _she_ didn't blame her for what happened or for holding the gun. Beth realized it had to be done, no matter how much it hurt her.

"Honey, we all know how wrong we were. We should've listened to you in the first place. Your Daddy sees that, it's just gonna take him some time to get used to the fact that they're really gone. But don't think for a second that he's holdin' a grudge on you, sweetheart." Patricia told her.

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and nodded. She felt reassured by their words, maybe not one hundred percent but it did help knowing she had the support of the three most important woman in her life.

Maggie wrapped her into a hug, refusing to let her sister out of her sight while she was this fragile. Rhiannon had a habit of making bad decisions when she was upset, most of which were ignoring her family.

Rhiannon hugged her sister tightly, reveling in the comfort she found on such a horrible day. She soon felt two more pairs of arms wrap around her. A light smile graced her lips as Beth and Patricia joined in.

Despite the horrors that she faced when she was on her own, despite the horrors she'd just witnessed in her backyard, she was so thankful that she had them in her life still. Most people had lost everything but Rhiannon found solace in the knowledge that she still had most of her family by her side.

The women stayed in their embrace for a long time, making sure to comfort one another when one of them had another bout of tears or needed reassurance that everything was going to be ok.

Soon enough, it was time for the funeral. They were all reluctant to go and face the people who had just been told to leave their safe haven but they all needed to go pay their respects.

Rhiannon stood slowly and reached her hand out to Beth who sat motionless on the couch. "Ready?"

Beth nodded and grabbed her hand, finally standing and together they walked outside towards the grave sights beyond the barn where a number of bodies still lay. Rhiannon cringed slightly as they passed, she hated that they couldn't bury everyone and give them peace.

Hershel, dressed in his sunday suit, was already standing in front of his late wife's resting spot. He turned his head briefly, hoping to find the gaze of his eldest daughter but she refused to look in his direction. He regretted what he said, how he said it. It was the shock talking and he wished he could take it back because at the end of it all, she was right. She'd been right the whole time and he should've listened.

The rest of the group joined and they all stood in silence. Hershel didn't recite a sermon from the bible as he usually would, he just had nothing to say this time.

Rhiannon stood between Maggie and Beth whose gazes were glued to the ground in front of them but she could hardly stand to look at the graves. All it did was remind her of her failures. If she'd gotten home earlier maybe Annette and Sean would still be alive.

Her gaze turned to the grave on the end, the smallest one that held the innocent child she'd never get the pleasure of meeting. Her eyes lifted to the man who stood away from the crowd.

Daryl wasn't looking at her, he couldn't. He didn't want to see the look of pity on her face, he didn't want to know if she thought he was a failure. He couldn't take that from her.

The absence of Carol was noticed by Rhiannon who frowned deeply. She wanted to wrap Carol in a hug and never let go. She just desperately hoped that she didn't hate her for not finding her daughter, for getting her hopes up for nothing. Rhiannon certainly hated herself for it so it wouldn't surprise her if Carol did.

Daryl was the first to leave, he couldn't take the silence anymore. He spared a quick glance to Rhiannon and almost sighed in relief when he saw she was looking down at Beth and not at him.

More people began to make their exit and soon it was only Rhiannon left, with Rick staring at her in concern. He tried to place a hand on his son's arm to keep him from approaching her. He figured the woman would want some time alone and not be pestered by the little kid that had a schoolyard crush on her.

Carl was persistent though. He shrugged off his Dad and made his way to Rhiannon. "I'm sorry about your family."

Rhiannon looked down at him in surprise, a touched look on her face. She smiled slightly at him and sniffled. "I'm sorry about Sophia. I wish I could've done more."

"Me too." Carl said sadly. "Uhmm, here. I hope you don't mind, I picked them from the garden." He said shyly, holding out a small gathering of wild flowers in his fist.

Rhiannon bit her lip, trying not to show just how much she wanted to burst into tears at the incredibly adorable boy in front of her. She looked over the kid's shoulder at Rick who looked just as taken aback as she was.

"Thanks, Carl." Rhiannon bent down and kissed his forehead, a smile cracking her cold features as she noticed his wide eyes and blushing cheeks. He reminded her of how starstruck Daryl had been when she kissed his cheek. "Come on." She said and together they placed flowers on each grave.

"Carl." Rick called out to him and motioned him to Lori who stood a few yards away waiting for him. Carl nodded sadly and turned to Rhiannon giving her one last sad smile before running to his mom.

"Rick, don't say anything." Rhiannon told him when she noticed he was about to speak, no doubt to apologize. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know, I'm still sorry though."

"I don't think anything I say is gonna change his mind." Rhiannon told him, referring to her Dad and his choice to kick them out.

"I know and I'm not expecting you to try. You've done enough."

Rhiannon scoffed. "Have I? I went out looking for Sophia, I tried to talk to my dad to make you stay and both times I failed." She shook her head resentfully, crossing her arms against her chest. "I haven't done shit."

"You really believe that?" Rick said in astonishment. He sighed, running a hand over his tired face. He knew she was beyond exhausted, she'd constantly been working hard and today was emotionally draining, he knew nothing he said was going to change her mind. He just hoped later, when she was feeling better, he'd be able to tell her how much she'd done not just for him and his family, but for everyone. "I hope you realize how much I've come to care about you. How much we've all come to care about you."

Rhiannon was taken aback by his words, she just stared back at him with wide eyes. Rick chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "And remind me never to piss you off, you got a mean right hook."

Rhiannon let out a small laugh and covered her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment. She was just glad he wasn't mad at her for punching his best friend. Rick still didn't know what an ass Shane was and she was sure he wouldn't appreciate it.

After the stunt he pulled, Rick actually wasn't too upset to see him shed some blood, especially when the delivering punch was from Rhiannon.

Rick smiled warmly at her, feeling proud that he was able to make her smile. "Good luck with everything."

Before Rhiannon could say anything, he'd walked away. She sighed, letting out a small groan. She couldn't let them leave, it would kill her to say goodbye to them. The people in the group (minus Shane) were some of the best people she'd ever met, even before the apocalypse. She couldn't let them walk out of her life.

The enormous task of convincing her father loomed in front of her like mount everest. She had no idea how to convince him, she just knew she had to. Deciding she could take a few minutes to herself before the inevitable blow out between her and her Dad, she made her way to her car that was still parked a ways down the driveway.

It wasn't just her sword she had been hiding from him. Although that wasn't a secret anymore, she still had a few she liked to keep. For one, the cigarettes she kept in the glove box. If he knew she was smoking he'd flip. She still couldn't believe he didn't notice when she was smoking in high school.

Rhiannon walked through the tall, grassy field. She felt like the weight on her shoulders lessened the further she got from home. But she really didn't feel like fighting any walkers today so she stayed within sight on the property. The male voices she'd heard in the woods a couple of days ago still freaked her out too. _God, the problems never stop do they?_

She leaned against the dilapidated stone wall. She couldn't even remember what it used to be, all that was left was the lone standing wall and a few stones strewn below. She lit a cigarette and she could've cried in relief at the sensation that immediately spread throughout her body. She hadn't had one since she got back home.

"The hell you doin' out here?"

Rhiannon let out a small scream and almost fell right on her ass at the sound of his voice. "What the fuck?! You have to stop doing that!" She yelled, putting a hand over her eyes as she suddenly started laughing.

Daryl smirked at her, dropping his stuff on the ground and moving to stand next to her against the brick ledge.

"Jesus Christ." Rhiannon muttered, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart. She swiftly nudged him in the ribs as she saw the smirk on his face.

It was as if they suddenly remembered what had happened earlier and a dark aura had surrounded them, leaving their smiles to vanish immediately. Rhiannon reached into the carton and pulled a cigarette out for him. "Want one?"

He nodded and eagerly lit the cancer stick. "Didn't know you smoked."

"I never did once I moved to New York. I would've been kicked out of if they saw me with one but It doesn't look like I'll be making it back for the show." She laughed bitterly.

"There's rules to be a dancer?" Daryl asked in amusement.

"Oh yeah. All the teachers at Juilliard were so strict. We weren't allowed to smoke or do any drugs, we couldn't drink or eat junk food, it was crazy."

Daryl snorted. "So you were straight laced that whole time?"

Rhiannon laughed. "Fuck no. I still got drunk and ate McDonalds. They could never take that away from me."

Daryl smiled lightly and turned his gaze down to her. He looked at her with amusement he didn't even know someone could give him. Rhiannon turned to face him and he was floored by the emotion he saw swirling in her big brown eyes.

"Are you ok?"

Daryl couldn't help but be annoyed at that question. His shoulders tensed and he leaned back against the wall, taking a long drag before answering. "'M fine." He growled.

"It's ok if you're not. _I'm_ not."

Daryl was starting to feel uncomfortable. He was never good at making someone feel better, let alone someone he actually cared about. He stayed silent, not knowing what he could say to her.

Rhiannon sighed at his silence. She didn't know what she expected. It's not like she wanted him to pull her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be ok. That wasn't him and frankly she'd be a little freaked out if he had done that.

"How come Carol didn't come to the funeral?"

Daryl grinded his teeth together and scowled. "Said that it wasn't her daughter."

Rhiannon rubbed at her scar above her eyebrow that was bothering her. It always seemed to start itching before she got a headache. "I guess I can understand that."

Daryl glared at her for her words. "I mean, you gotta understand, she doesn't wanna imagine her daughter as one of those mindless monsters. It's just easier for her to think that she died out in the woods somewhere, as herself."

Daryl knew it was a valid explanation, a coping method of sorts, but it didn't stop him from getting angry. "Still her daughter though."

"I know. But we've never lost a child, we can't tell her how to handle this." Rhiannon told him. She crushed the finished cigarette against the brick and let the ashes fall to the grassy floor. "I wish we found her." She said quietly, her voice breaking slightly.

Daryl turned his head away from her so she couldn't see the pained expression on his face but it just made her more persistent.

"Daryl," She stepped in front of him, making him look down at his feet. "I know you're blaming yourself. I blame myself too. And I don't know if we're ever gonna feel better about this, if we're ever gonna be able to move past it but I don't…" She sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair. Daryl watched her, all his attention glued to her as she wiped at her eyes quickly. "I don't want you to blame yourself and pull away."

Daryl felt like he'd been punched in the chest, he could barely breathe. "Ain't gonna pull away. Not from you." He shrugged, trying to make it seem like he hadn't just revealed something so emotional and incriminating about how he felt about her.

Rhiannon was absolutely shocked at his words. She watched him with a frown as he shyly looked down at his feet, avoiding her eyes. It was like she could finally breathe in the fresh air at the thought that maybe things weren't as one sided as she thought.

She felt her chest heave with every panting breath she took. Her hands trembled slightly as she contemplated her next move. She looked at him with a small smile, he was so adorable when he was embarrassed. _Fuck it._

Deciding to act now and think later, she reached up, her hand moving to his cheek. She slowly brought his head up so he was looking at her once again. Her thumb moved against the stubble on his jaw making his breathing heavier.

Daryl nervously avoided her gaze, once again trying to look back down. Rhiannon moved closer to him so their chests brushed against each others making them both swallow nervously. She moved her head quickly, claiming his lips with hers before she could stop herself.

It was what she'd been waiting for since that first day together and it was worth it. Her hand moved to the back of his head, as if holding him in place so he wouldn't bolt. Her other hand moved to cup his cheek gently. Daryl didn't respond which made her nervous. She pulled away slowly, hoping she hadn't just ruined everything.

As she moved away from him, his strong hand held the back of her neck, keeping her in place. Daryl suddenly leaned down, finally getting over his shock and crashed his lips to hers once again, this time more passionately.

Rhiannon had to hold back a moan as their lips moved together. He tasted like the cigarette he'd just been smoking but she didn't mind one bit. His hands which had previously stayed by his side in shock had moved to her hips and he gripped onto them tightly.

He was seeing stars, he didn't think anything in the world could feel like good. Rhiannon was also feeling the same bliss, she had to try hard not to smile and break the amazing kiss. They pulled away breathlessly. She looked up at Daryl who had his brows furrowed tightly, like he was holding something back.

She frowned and moved closer to kiss him again when he suddenly pushed her back. She frowned as she watched him begin to pace, his hands coming up to cover his face before roughly raking through his messy hair. She couldn't understand why he looked so stressed after the mind blowing kiss they just shared.

"Daryl?"

"Don't. This was a mistake." He said harshly, his back now turned towards her.

"What?" Rhiannon took a deep breath, trying not to fly off the handle at his hot and cold behaviour. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Us..we can't- you can't do that shit."

"What shit? Kiss you?" She grabbed his arm to make him turn and look at her but he shrugged her off.

"You don't want me."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me what I want, Daryl." She spat, finally moving in front of him, grabbing his arms tightly. "Why the fuck wouldn't I want you? Was that kiss not clear enough that I fucking like you?"

"You shouldn't. You an' me, we ain't the same thing. I'm just some dumb redneck and you went to fucking Juilliard, you were doin' somethin' with your life!"

"That doesn't matter! I don't care if you were homeless, that's not gonna change how I feel about you." She tried to reason with him but it seemed hopeless. She knew when Daryl was like this there was no rational thought happening.

"What the fucks your family gonna think if they see you with me?" He yelled, kicking at the stones that lay on the ground. "You prolly just doin' this to get back at Daddy right? Bring home some good for nothing asshole to show him how rebellious you are."

Rhiannon felt like she'd just been slapped in the face. "Is that really what you think of me? That I'd just use you?" She choked out, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "Wow." She whispered, turning away from him as she wiped at her eyes. She thought they'd been friends. She told him about her troubled past thinking he'd understand, not use it against her.

"Rhiannon!"

They both turned suddenly at the loud yell that came back from the house. She frowned deeply at the frantic sound of Maggie's voice calling for her.

"I guess you got what you wanted." She said coldly, not even sparing a second glance at him before walking away. She tried to keep her cries silent as she walked so he wouldn't hear but it was useless. She'd been hurt, and by _him_. That made it a thousand times worse.

Daryl watched her walk away with regret. He rubbed his hands over his face and cursed under his breath. He really fucked up. He was so elated that she'd kissed him, he finally began to wonder if there really was a chance that it wasn't so unrequited. But he'd heard Merle's voice in his head, his Dad's voice, telling him he was nothing and she was just using him because it was the apocalypse and there was no one else.

He hated that he listened to those voices every time they wandered through his mind. He hated himself for ruining what could have been the best thing in his life.

But really, who was he kidding? A girl like her with him? It just didn't add up. He cared about her, more than he realized, more than he wanted to admit.

He thought she deserved everything good left in the world and he didn't want her to settle for him.

* * *

 **Please don't hate me for this..**

 **Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter! Hope you all enjoyed this crazy mess of emotions xx**


	13. Chapter 13

Rhiannon sat on her sister's bed, brushing the hair from her face as she stared vacantly at the ceiling. "How did this happen?"

"I dunno, she was doing dishes and then she just collapsed."

"And no one saw Dad leave?"

Maggie shook her head, her face contorted as she tried not to burst into tears.

Rhiannon sighed loudly and squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Like this day couldn't get any worse." She muttered to herself.

She stood, giving Patricia a weak smile as she had promised to stay with Beth and watch her. Maggie followed her out the room and down the hall to where Rick and Shane were looking through their Dads room.

"Why would he just leave?"

Rhiannon grit her teeth in annoyance. "You know why. He couldn't stand to look at the people that killed his family."

"Don't keep doing that to yourself, you know this isn't your fault." Maggie told her sternly.

The older sister couldn't help but roll her eyes. She definitely didn't feel like this wasn't her fault. Her baby sister had collapsed and no one knew how to make her better, her father had suddenly disappeared, and she'd been told off by the person she thought she could confide in - the person who she thought actually liked her back.

She hated that Daryl lingered in the back of her mind through the whole time Maggie had been explaining what happened to Beth. She hated that his harsh words replayed over and over making her feel angrier and more upset each time she thought of it.

Just move on. That asshole proved he wasn't worth your time, she told herself but it hurt even more thinking that he'd be out of her life forever. Even if he was a huge asshole. She shook her head and stepped into her Dad's room, her chest immediately constricting painfully at the sight of Annette's things packed up in boxes. He really did have hope that she'd get better.

Rhiannon sighed. She should've done more, at least talked to him about what he thought the virus was and try to lessen the blow when he found out the cure wasn't true.

"Your Stepmother's things?"

Rhiannon nodded slowly, her brows furrowed as she gently ran her hand over the silky dress that lay in the dusty box.

"He was so sure that she'd recover. They'd just pick up where they left off." Maggie replied, noticing Rhiannon looked like she wasn't about to speak anytime soon. She looked absolutely shellshocked.

"You ok?" Rick asked her with his fatherly tone. The girl looked like she was in pain, it was hard to see. She only nodded in response, giving him a small smile though it did little to reassure him that she was holding herself together.

"Looks like he found an old friend." Shane said, tossing the flask he found to Rick.

Rhiannon widened her eyes at the sight. She'd never seen her Dad so much as hold a wine glass or a beer. She didn't know he kept it.

"I didn't take Hershel for a drinker."

"He's not. He gave it up the day I was born." She told them.

"He didn't even allow liquor in the house." Maggie interjected making her older sister cringe slightly. Damn, there was a lot her Dad didn't know about what went on during her high school days.

Rick noticed the look on Rhiannon's face and laugh lightly. "I'm guessing you didn't exactly follow that rule."

"Not at all." She told him straightly.

Rick's smirk suddenly disappeared. It was like all the puzzles pieces came together. "What's the bar in town?"

"Hatlin's. He practically lived there in his drinking days."

"Betting that's where I'll find him." Rick said with confidence as he turned to Glenn.

"Yeah, I've seen the place. I'll take you." Glenn said, giving Maggie a reassuring look. It made Rhiannon happy that her sister had found him but she couldn't help but feel bitter that a certain someone in her life wouldn't step up like Glenn had.

Fuck, why can't he stay out of my mind?

"I'm going too." She blurted out making everyone in the room turn to look at her. She immediately noticed Maggie's worried expression. "This isn't up for discussion. I didn't handle things well before and I need to make things right. I can't keep fighting with him."

"No! Are you two crazy-" Maggie turned her head back and forth to yell at both her sister and Glenn.

"It's an easy run and I'm more than confident she'll watch my ass out there." Glenn reassured her, giving a look to Rhiannon who rolled her eyes playfully in response. She hadn't forgotten what Rick had said about Glenn being terrified of her.

"Maggie, I'll bring him back. Both of them." Rick told her though it didn't give her much comfort. She hated that two people she cared about were risking their lives again.

"Maggie, Dad's out there alone, probably without a gun. We gotta go as soon as possible." Rhiannon said, keeping her eyes down at the boxes that lay on the bed. Even though it hurt, she couldn't tear her eyes away from them. It was surreal seeing her stepmother's things packed away. It felt like she hadn't even been there in the first place.

She moved her attention to the bedside table where one of the drawers was halfway open. She peered inside, not knowing exactly what she was looking for but she was shocked at what she'd found.

Her mouth dropped open slightly as she opened the drawer fully to make sure she what she was seeing was real.

"Rhi?" Maggie asked her, concern dripping from her voice as she noticed the sad expression on her sister's face.

"I didn't know he had this." Rhiannon said quietly, holding up the Juilliard brochure in her hands. She had been lucky enough to grace the cover, dressed in her white swan lake costume with her leg stretched up next to her head, her back arched gracefully with her arms above her head.

"That's you?" Rick asked in astonishment. He'd noticed the brochure earlier when he looked through the drawer but he had thought nothing of it. He didn't even recognize the young blonde woman all decked out in her ballerina outfit.

Rhiannon nodded slowly, looking down at the picture of herself with sad eyes. Maggie let a small smile form. "It was when we went to see your performance, he took every single one off the shelf." She laughed slightly at the memory. "He showed it to clients that came in, friends he saw at the grocery store, anyone that would listen really. He was proud of you. He loved bragging to everyone about how his daughter was a successful dancer in New York. He wouldn't shut up about it."

Rhiannon was speechless. She always thought her Dad had hated the fact that she decided to be a dancer and not follow in his footsteps and eventually take over the family business or look after the farm. They'd certainly fought about it enough to make her believe he didn't agree with it, but apparently she'd been wrong.

She looked up at Rick who had a touched smile on his face. He nodded at her, silently letting her know that they were going and he swiftly left the room, Lori following with a scowl on her face. Rhiannon ignored Shane as she walked by him and left, going back to see Beth. But a small smirk graced her lips as she couldn't help but notice the bruising on his nose.

Damn that had felt good.

Her breath left her in a pained exhale as she saw her baby sister lying unresponsive. She leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I won't be too long, I promise. I'm gonna bring Dad back and we're all gonna get through this together. I'm not running anymore, I'm never gonna leave you again." Rhiannon whispered to her, trying to ignore the sting she felt in her eyes as tears threatened to fall.

"I love you." She spoke softly, giving her one last kiss. She hesitated to leave, staring down at her sister who she worried for. It didn't feel right to leave when she was like this but she needed to find her Dad.

"Be safe." Patricia told her, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. "Come back soon."

Rhiannon nodded, giving Beth one last pained glance before she left. She trudged down the stairs, it reminded her of when she'd stomp down the stairs to go to school in the mornings, so unhappy and angry that she was being forced to go. The difference was, she knew she needed to go now, she needed to get to her father before he did something stupid.

She was practically ambushed by Maggie as soon as she made it down the stairs. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

Rhiannon sighed in annoyance, placing her hands on her sister's arms. "I'm sure. I'm always running away from my problems, running away from my family when I didn't wanna face my mistakes. I gotta change that." She stated simply, shrugging her shoulders like it wasn't a big deal that she was going out into walker infested territory.

Maggie's stern faced softened at her response and she suddenly hugged her tightly. "If you don't come back I'm gonna be pissed." She muttered against her thick mane of blonde hair.

"I know." Rhiannon pulled away and gave Maggie a weak smile. "I'll bring him back."

Maggie nodded and reluctantly let her go. She hated watching her sister walk out the door. It always scared her when she was younger, never knowing when she'd back, or if she'd be back. She thought it was very big of her to go and she hoped Rhiannon and their father could finally start to put the past behind them and get over the disagreements that had been plaguing them for years.

Maggie always thought her Dad was too harsh on Rhiannon. So what if she had tattoos, so what if she didn't take the conventional career path. Maggie admired her sister so much for doing what she wanted even though it drove her father crazy. She just hated that her headstrong personality caused such a rift between the two of them.

Rhiannon stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air happily. She couldn't help but turn her head to the direction of the stone wall miles away from the property where she knew Daryl still was. Her chest ached at the memory of what had happened. She knew she'd been forward and she'd been surprised when he kissed her back.

Him pushing her away wasn't too much of a shock. She expected that she'd have to coax him out of his self consciousness to make him realize that she wanted him, that he drove her crazy like no other man had. What she didn't expect was for him to lash out the way he did. She knew it was a defense mechanism and he probably didn't mean what he said but that didn't make it hurt any less.

After what happened with her previous abusive ex boyfriend, she wasn't going to give in easily. She knew Daryl was nothing like him but he'd still hurt her, said horrible things to her that reminded her of the previous relationship and how emotionally damaged her ex had made her feel.

If Daryl wanted to apologize, she'd let him but he'd still have to work hard for her trust. But who was she kidding, one look at those baby blue eyes and she'd probably crumble.

Rhiannon shook her head, ridding the confusing thoughts of the hunter from her mind. She didn't have time for his drama, she had to focus on her family.

She gave Rick a smile as she saw him leaning against the truck. "Hey. Thanks for doing this."

Rick smiled back. "I knew you'd go even if you were alone. Besides, your father's done a lot for us, this is the least I could do after what happened."

Rhiannon stayed silent, feeling uncomfortable at the memory he brought up. It didn't feel like it had happened that day. So many shitty things had happened one after the other, it was hard to keep track of what happened when.

Glenn walked out of the house with Maggie following closely. A small, embarrassed smile graced her lips as she watched her sister kiss the man she'd come to care for. Rhiannon couldn't help but feel jealous that it'd been so easy for Maggie to find someone.

Rhiannon had found someone but he was being a real asshole about it. She inwardly rolled her eyes, could never go for the easy guys could I?

"You ready?"

"Yeah." Glenn replied though his voice didn't sound all that confident. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him, what did Maggie say to him?

She pursed her lips, she had her own relationship problems to deal with, it probably wouldn't be wise to stick her nose in someone else's.

"We can take my car." She offered, motioning with her head for the two men to follow her down the driveway.

The trio walked in silence which they all appreciated. Once they reached the car she had to stifle a laugh at the look of distaste Glenn made when Rick stepped to the passenger side and he realized he had to sit in the back.

As soon as the key turned in the ignition and the engine roared to life, her ipod that was plugged in turned on and her music came on full blast. Both Glenn and Rick jumped in surprise.

"Sorry." She smiled sheepishly, turning the volume down until she could barely recognize the song.

Rick chuckled at her. "It's ok. It's been awhile since I heard music." He said and turned the volume back up, though not quite as loud as it had been before.

The three of them stayed in a comfortable silence, listening to the music as they got closer to town. Rhiannon couldn't help but notice how unsettled Glenn was every time she looked in the rearview mirror.

"You ok?"

Glenn nodded and smiled unconvincingly before giving up his charade and sighing loudly. "Maggie said she loves me." He blurted out, not noticing the way Rhiannon's eyes widened.

Rick just hummed in response, not understanding why that would be a reason to be upset. "She doesn't mean it. I mean, she can't. I mean - she's upset or confused." Glenn said, once again totally oblivious to Rhiannon's reactions to his words. She just rolled her eyes dramatically making Rick cover his growing smile. Poor Glenn was freaking out and he was sure he wouldn't appreciate them laughing.

"She's probably feeling like-"

"I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling." Rick interrupted him.

Glenn shook his head. "No, you know what? She wants to be in love, so she needs something to hold onto."

Rhiannon scoffed in response. "God, what is it with men? If a girl says she loves you, then she loves you. Why would you contradict that? Just be happy and accept it instead of deciding for yourself how she feels." She spoke more harshly than she intended, gaining confused looks from both of the men in the car.

Rick cleared his throat, trying to move past the somewhat awkward incident. "Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone Maggie loves you, and not just because you're one of the last men standing. So what's the problem? It's like Rhiannon said, accept it and be happy. Why question it."

Glenn looked down and fidgeted with his hands. "I didn't say it back."

Rhiannon grit her teeth, flashbacks of her incident Daryl running through her mind on a loop. "Well you better say it back because I know you mean it. She's probably thinking she did something wrong or she was wasting her time with a guy that doesn't even like her back. That's enough to make a woman go fucking crazy."

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she spat the words viciously. She could feel their confused gazes on her and her tense shoulders relaxed. "Sorry." She mumbled.

She doubted the two of them would ever guess that she was talking about the stubborn hunter in their group but she still didn't want to explain and give away any hints. It was clear nothing would happen between them so why bother bringing it up to other people?

Rhiannon ignored the rest of the conversation, knowing she'd just get more worked up. That damn hunter had quite the hold on her and she was beginning to resent it. She focused on the music instead, the soft melody comforting her.

It wasn't too long after when they reached the heart of the town. "This is it." She spoke tersely, parking the car next to the bar when she knew her father was hiding in.

The three of them got out of the car, Rhiannon giving Glenn a grateful smile as he handed her her sword that had been in the backseat.

"You have any idea what you're gonna say to him?" Rick asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as they walked slowly.

She shook her head. "I figured I'd just wing it but I'm kinda regretting that now." She spoke lowly, her eyes trained on the doors ahead of them.

Rick squeezed her shoulder lightly. "You're his daughter, nothing could ever change that or the love he feels for you."

Rhiannon had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She'd done a lot of shit in her life, she'd been a horrible child and to her, it was a miracle her father still cared about her.

They trio slowly made their way up the creaking steps. Rick gave her one last reassuring nod before opening the door slowly, his gun held tightly in his hand. Rhiannon's chest tightened as she noticed her Dad sitting at the bar, a drink in front of him. She was just glad it was still full.

"Hershel?"

"Who's with you?" He replied unimpressed. He figured someone would come after him just not so soon. He was hoping for more time to himself.

"Glenn...and Rhiannon." Rick said, hesitating before saying his name. It just occurred to him that Hershel probably wouldn't be happy about his daughter being out here away from the protection on the farm. On the other hand, he knew Hershel was aware of how headstrong his daughter was and that there was no stopping her when she set her mind to something.

If Hershel was upset about it, he gave no indication. "Maggie send them?"

"They volunteered. They're good like that. Though I'm sure you already knew that."

Hershel nodded slowly. Yes, he did know that. His daughter, no matter how stubborn she was, was always the first person to volunteer her help.

"How many have you had?" Rhiannon asked, eyeing the glass in his hands wearily. She knew what comfort drinking was and it only seemed to make things worse, she didn't want him going down that path.

"Not enough."

His reply made her stiffen. She swallowed thickly and walked closer, jumping up so she could sat on the counter beside him.

"Why don't we finish this up back at home?" Rick offered after she'd given him a pleading look. She knew she couldn't do this on her own.

Rhiannon wasn't the only stubborn one in the family. At least she knew where she got it from. She exhaled loudly before leaning closer. "Dad, Beth collapsed. She's in shock, we think." She started slowly making him look at her with sad eyes. "I think you are too. All of us." She mumbled, turning her gaze to her hands that lay in her lap.

"Maggie's with her?"

Rhiannon furrowed her brows, that hadn't been the reaction she was expecting. She gave Rick a questioning look who also had a frown on his face. "Yeah, but Beth needs you." He replied.

"What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn. Like she should've done weeks ago. I robbed her of that." Hershel spoke sadly, suddenly turning his gaze back to his daughter. "You were right, I see that now."

Rhiannon was speechless at the broken expression on her father's face. She hated seeing him like that.

"You thought there was a cure. I'm not gonna hold a grudge against you having hope." Rhiannon told him sternly, not liking that he sounded so lifeless and robotic. It just wasn't him.

"You should hate me. I was cruel to you, I kept secrets from you."

Rhiannon let out a sound of disbelief. "What, you think I'm gonna say 'I told you so'? I'm not that big of a bitch. I'm not gonna be mad at you for believing this world hasn't totally gone to shit. I envy you. I wish I could've had that hope." She grabbed his hands in hers, holding tightly.

Her dad just smiled sadly, like he thought what she said was ridiculous. "Hope?" He questioned. He turned to Rick who was watching thoughtfully. "When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive."

"But he did."

"He did. Even though we lost Otis." Rhiannon tensed at the mention of the fallen man making Rick give her a sympathetic look. "Your man Shane made it back and I thank God every day that my daughter made it back. And we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me that miracles do exist. Seeing my daughter come back to me after so many days, that gave me hope."

Rhiannon frowned deeply as her father shook his head, a tortured expression on his face as he recalled the horrible thoughts and doubt he had over those days she wasn't there.

"Only it was a sham." Hershel continued grimly. "I was a fool, Rick, and you people saw that. You tried to tell me but I didn't listen." He said, giving Rhiannon a regretful look. "You and your sisters deserve better than that."

Rhiannon hummed in amusement making all three men turn their attention to her. "You know, I spent so much of my life thinking I wasn't good enough for my family. I excluded myself, thinking you'd all be better off without me in your life causing trouble. I never thought the tables would turn." She said bitterly.

Hershel looked at her sadly, he didn't want to get into this. He knew he had unresolved issues with his eldest daughter and he didn't think they'd ever talk about it, especially during the apocalypse.

"You know I don't blame you. After mom died I just lost my way. I made stupid decisions, it was like I wanted to be a screw up. And I don't blame you for sending me away. Boarding school was terrible, probably the worst time of my life but it made me realize who I was, how I didn't belong in your family."

Rick and Glenn shared similar looks of shock at what she had revealed. Rick moved back to where Glenn stood behind them. They felt like they were intruding on an intimate moment, that they shouldn't be hearing what was being said.

Hershel was shocked and tears sprung to his eyes. "You can't honestly believe that. That wasn't why I sent you. I just worried that if I didn't do enough you'd end up hating your life even more. I needed help to fix the problem before it was too late. I couldn't let you destroy your life."

Rhiannon let out a shocked laugh, her hands raking through her long hair. "Then why did you put up such a fight when I told you what I wanted to do with my life, how I actually wanted to make something of it. Most fathers would be proud of their daughter for getting into Juilliard. I moved to the big city, I was happy and successful. I even got to dance on the stage in Paris but you were still whining that I didn't want to follow in your footsteps."

Hershel sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I was always proud of you. Never think I wasn't." He let out a shaky breath, trying to hold himself together. "I didn't want you to leave. I knew you moving away meant you'd pull away from us even more."

Rhiannon sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Look, I know I've made mistakes. I should have tried harder, I shouldn't have run-"

"How many times did you call us when you were in Paris?" He asked suddenly, eyeing her quizzically and almost harshly.

Rhiannon flinched like she'd been struck. The more she thought about it the more she realized that she spent practically a whole year without speaking to her family. She'd even forgotten to call him on his birthday.

Hershel sighed and looked down, he couldn't stand to see her so upset. "Just go." He whispered.

Rhiannon let out a choked breath as she realized she was getting nowhere. She wanted to bury the hatchet, move past all the fights they had but it seemed like he had no desire. She felt like she'd missed her chance, that she was years too late. It hurt like hell to be rejected by her own father. Fuck, first Daryl now my Dad.

Rick emerged from the doorway where he'd been hiding away as he gave the father and daughter some space. But seeing Rhiannon start to cry made him step up again to try. "I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe."

Hershel chuckled bitterly. "Like you promised that little girl?"

"Dad!" Rhiannon yelled, shocked by his words.

Rick grit his teeth and strode over to the older man with purpose. "So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?"

Rhiannon began to zone out as her father got up from his seat and went toe to toe with Rick. A hand was placed on her shoulder making her jolt in surprise. Glenn looked down at her remorsefully, slowly wrapping his arms around her to gage her reaction. He didn't know if she was the hugging type and he didn't want her to push him away.

He gave a light smile as she leaned into him, returning his hug. He really underestimated her. He thought she was strong before but after hearing about her childhood and how she was trying to right her wrongs blew him away. He now knew where Maggie had gotten her spunk from. Growing up with a sister like Rhiannon pretty much guaranteed her being strong willed and confident.

Rhiannon held onto Glenn tightly, sniffling quietly as she listened to her father explain how he realized there was no hope. It sent a pang through her chest when he mentioned Sophia. It was like he was inadvertently kicking her when she was down.

Hearing him say there was no hope for any of them made her angry. She was just glad Rick stepped up before she could blow up at him, that would've been a bad idea for sure.

"This isn't about what we believe anymore, this is about them." Rick said passionately. Hershel sighed and set his glass down.

Rhiannon sighed loudly. "I thought I was supposed to be the brat of the family." She said harshly making him turn to look at her. She moved away from Glenn, now standing in front of father who looked taken aback. "Look, I know I'm a shitty child and your life would have been so much easier if you didn't have me. I fucked up and it's not your fault. But you don't get to do the same thing as me. You don't get to run away from us, I'm not gonna let you. I'm not gonna mess this up again." She told him, her voice strained as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

Hershel wiped at his eyes. He didn't know if he was happy or not. He'd waited so long to hear those words, to hear her admit her mistakes. He was proud that she was owning up to it but the sadness he saw on her face made his chest ache.

"Dad, I need you in my life." She cried softly. She suddenly shook her head in remorse. "I don't think I've ever said that to you. But I love you, more than anything, and I can't do this without you."

Hershel stood and pulled his daughter into a tight hug, stealing her breath away from her but she loved every second of it. "Baby girl, there's no other place you belong more than in this family." He whispered to her causing her to hold onto him even tighter.

Rick and Glenn watched them embrace with small smiles. They knew Rhiannon had snapped Hershel out his state of despair. It was just another reason to be thankful for the young woman.

Their touching family moment was ruined by the sound of the door slamming open.

"Son of a bitch. They're alive."

 **Kind of a slow chapter. Sorry for the lack of Daryl and Rhiannon interaction but that girl needs a break from his mood swings. I wanted to focus more on the rocky relationship with her dad and resolve some things so she didn't have so much shit going on in her life. But now she's going to be confronted with the assholes she almost met in the woods, so of course, more** **drama is coming!**

 **And to Dawnie-7, you just might be onto something *wink***

 **Thanks for all your reviews and I hope** **you enjoyed reading! xx**


	14. Chapter 14

Harsh grunts of exertion left his mouth as he whittled away at the arrow he was carving from wood. Daryl looked down at the too thin weapon and tossed it aside to join the others he had ruined by working it too much. He just couldn't seem to stop the swing of his knife.

He finally decided to give up, content with the four arrows he'd actually managed to make. He tossed his knife to the ground and placed his head in his hands, expelling a deep breath. The confrontation he had with Lori a few moments ago ran through his mind making him clench his fists tightly against his closed eyes.

That on top of the colossal fuck up he made earlier was enough to send him over the edge.

Daryl had made a lot of mistakes in his life, but they all seemed very trivial and he didn't care enough about them to dwell on them too much. But he knew what had happened earlier that day would hang over his head for a very long time. Maybe the rest of his life, however long that would be.

He regretted the things he'd said instantly and he hated watching her leave like she couldn't wait to get away from him. He looked down at his bloodied knuckles - the result of his stupid actions. He had to take his anger out on something and that stone wall was just standing there, waiting to be punched by an idiotic redneck who had the emotional maturity of an ant.

Daryl didn't mean what he said, of course he didn't. He had just panicked, the thought of her actually liking him back was too much to fathom and that kiss had certainly knocked him on his ass.

He licked his lips, hoping he could still taste her.

She made him feel weak, he literally felt his knees buckle when she kissed him and that scared him to no end. He didn't want to get attached to someone and watch them die horribly. This world wasn't meant for happy endings.

And he knew Rhiannon was the kind of person who'd jump in front of a bullet for someone she cared about and he would be damned if she did for him. He wasn't worth her time and he sure as hell wasn't worth her life.

He knew just telling her his insecurities wouldn't push her away, it would probably only make her spend more time with him, get closer to him so she could help him like she does with anyone that needs help. So he decided the only thing he could do to make sure she stayed away from him was to hurt her.

He hated himself for it, he knew it was the coward's way out but he just couldn't stand the thought of being around her and not kissing her. He was like a drug addict, one taste of her and he was hooked.

Daryl scoffed at himself, rubbing a sore hand against his stubble. If he thought he was screwed before, he had no idea what he was in for after realizing it wasn't so one sided on his part.

He felt so ashamed of himself, he really didn't want to hurt her the way he had but it was the only thing he could do. And he felt right to some degree, not about her using him of course. Daryl knew she wasn't that kind of person.

Though he did wonder what her family would think if they saw them together, and not just as friends as it had looked. If her father saw her kiss him he'd probably fly off the handle.

Every father knows their daughter could do better than some troubled redneck with an abusive daddy and druggie brother.

Daryl had once thought that maybe he wasn't as bad as people made him out to be, that he wasn't just a carbon copy of his brother. Rhiannon was the one to make him see that. But after what he'd done to her, he was right back to the mindset he'd been in weeks ago, the same self hatred that he'd felt for years was back in full force and he knew no one but her could ever change that.

Not that she'd ever want to. She was probably happy he was feeling so shitty. He definitely deserved it.

No matter how much it hurt to ruin something so amazing, to tear down what would have been his only source of happiness, he had to do it for her own good.

He would still protect her no matter what - not that she really needed it- but he would still be there to jump in front of the bullet. People like her were rare and he knew without her the world really would have gone to shit, with no chance of redemption.

Daryl picked up his knife again, contemplating going for a hunt. God knows he could use the distraction. But he knew it would be useless. Nothing would ever tear his mind away from how it felt to have her body pressed against his, to have her fingers tangled in his hair, to have her lips on his, sharing the same breath.

And nothing would ever compare to that feeling.

* * *

Hershel slowly took a step to the left, moving closer to his daughter as the unfamiliar men made their way into the room, one of them making himself comfortable at the bar beside them. He was a little too close to his daughter for his liking.

"I'm Dave. That scrawny looking douche bag there is Tony." The man introduced himself.

Rhiannon tensed, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up as a chill ran down her spine. Those names, they were familiar. Their voices were too but she didn't know why. She didn't like that they made her defensive from the get go. She knew right from the start that Rick had been a good person, but these two, they were different.

She cast a glare towards Glenn as he eagerly introduced himself, a wide smile on his face making him look like an innocent child.

Rick introduced himself as he handed them a drink. He gave her a look as he passed a glass to her. He was weary too, he had the same suspicions of the men just like her.

Rhiannon could relax a little, knowing she wasn't totally crazy for thinking it.

"This is Hershel. He lost people today, a lot of them."

"I'm truly sorry to hear that." Dave said solemnly, though she doubted it was sincere. "To better days and new friends. And to our dead - may they be in a better place."

Rhiannon gulped her drink in one go, barely wincing at the strong taste. It was something she desperately needed at this moment to calm her nerves.

"What about you, sweetheart? You got a name?" The man asked, giving her what he probably thought was a charming smile though it made her insides turn.

"Rhiannon." She answered dryly, giving a slight glare to the overweight man beside her that looked her up and down while licking his lips. She cringed slightly, she could've thrown up on the spot.

"Rhiannon." He drawled dreamily. "Hmm. Now that is a beautiful name. It suits you."

Her lip quirked up on one side in a sarcastic smile in response. She could feel her Dad's gaze on her, she turned to him and gave him a look, discreetly letting him know she was ok. She was used to guys like this. She lived in New York for christ sake, she got catcalled all the time. Eventually she learned to just ignore it.

Rick clenched his jaw tightly at the man's words, he gave Rhiannon a fleeting glance before his harsh gaze went back to Dave, his eyes falling on the gun in the waistband of his jeans.

"Not bad, huh?" Dave said smugly, placing his gun on the table. A satisfied smirk on his face as he noticed the way they all tensed. "I got it off a cop."

"I'm a cop." Rick replied without hesitation, eyeing him sternly as if daring him to make one wrong move.

"This one was already dead."

Rhiannon kept her steely gaze on the man. She didn't like they way he said 'already' as if implying Rick would become another dead cop to steal from. She was probably just reading too much into it but after the pillagers she'd seen out on the road, she couldn't help but be paranoid.

She stretched her body across the bar beside her, reaching for the bottle. She poured herself another generous helping and gulped it down quickly. Hershel gave her a disapproving look to which she just glared at him as if to say 'you seriously wanna judge after what you did?'

Rhiannon kept her eyes down at the glass in her hands as Dave explained where they've been and where they got stuck on the highway. Her head whipped up as Rick mentioned they'd be heading to Fort Benning eventually. Her eyes shifted to her Dad. If he made them leave after everything they had done for him, especially today, she would kick his ass for sure, father or not. She couldn't let them leave.

"I hate to piss in your cornflakes, officer, but...we ran across a guy who was stationed at Benning. He said the place was overrun by Lamebrains."

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow, turning to Rick with a hopeful look. It was probably indecent but at least that gave them more of a reason to stay at the farm.

"Oddly, the truth is there is no way out of this mess. Just keep going from one pipe dream to the next, praying one of these mindless freaks doesn't grab ahold of you when you sleep."

"If you sleep." Tony continued.

Rhiannon felt a strange feeling in her body. She didn't like that she identified so well with these men. She knew exactly what they were talking about and she was sure she'd had similar experiences to them while she was out on the road. It made her disgusted that she could ever be lumped in the same category with them.

"It doesn't look like you guys are hanging your hats here. You holed up somewhere else?" Dave asked, making all of them tense simultaneously once again.

"Not really." Rick said casually, hoping they wouldn't ask anymore questions.

Suddenly Rhiannon's blood went cold. She knew why they sounded familiar, why their names had struck a chord with her. They were the ones she heard in the woods when she was looking for Sophia. They were the ones that talked about 'sharing' her once they found her.

These men were not good and there was no way they could ever come back to her home, to where her sisters were. She'd kill them before they had the chance to ever get near them.

She stared at Rick, hoping he'd turn to look at her, but he didn't. She had to find a way to let him know who they were and why the couldn't come back with them under any circumstances.

"We're with a larger group. Out scouting, thought we could use a drink." Her Dad explained to Dave and Tony after they had realized they weren't living in their cars like they were.

"A drink? Hershel I thought you quit."

Rhiannon grit her teeth. She didn't even like him talking to her Dad, it unsettled her.

"Well, we're thinking of setting up around here. Is it safe?"

"It can be, although I have killed a couple of walkers around here."

Another glare was sent Glenn's way. Rhiannon had to remind herself to calm down. It wasn't his fault he wasn't as jaded as she was. She moved her gaze to Rick again, desperately hoping he'd find her eyes. Even then, she didn't know how she'd be able to tell him these guys were bad news with them seated right in front of her.

There was a beat of silence which left everyone to feel the unease slowly creeping through. Rhiannon stiffened when she felt Tony's leering gaze on her once again.

Rick finally turned his head, his gaze cold as he looked at the man whose eyes trailed up and down her body. He looked to Rhiannon, his gaze softening as he silently asked if she was ok. He couldn't imagine being a woman in this new world, especially one as beautiful and badass as her.

Rhiannon moved her eyes from Dave to Tony and back to Rick. He frowned slightly, realizing it was an intentional move and she was trying to say something.

Before Rick could try and decipher what she was hinting at, Dave's voice broke his thoughts. "So what, you guys set up on the outskirts or something? That new development?"

Each member of the group stayed silent as he tried to guess where they had their safe haven, there was a silent collective agreement that the two men were not coming with them. But the way they all simultaneously tensed at the mention of a farm was unmistakable.

"You got a farm?" Dave questioned.

The silence was interrupted as Tony moved across the room to relieve himself in the corner. Rhiannon rolled her eyes, making a silent gagging motion. At least he wasn't sitting beside her anymore.

She noticed that Dave had finally taken his eyes off her, giving her a window of opportunity. She subtly shifted her position, catching Rick's attention slyly. He raised his eyebrow at her, silently asking her what she was trying to tell him.

'The woods' she mouthed to him slowly.

Rick narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. _The woods. What the hell did that mean?_ Rhiannon widened her eyes at him, giving him an exasperated look.

Then, like a light switched off in his head, he understood. These were the men Rhiannon had told him about when she emerged from the woods shaken and scared.

Rick's face went hard as a rock and she knew right away that he had finally gotten what she had said. He nodded inconspicuously, letting her know she didn't need to worry, that he would do everything in his power to stop them from coming with them.

"Is it safe?" Tony asked from across the room, not caring about the dirty looks he got from the others.

"It's gotta be. You got food, water?"

"You got cooze? Ones as pretty as her?" Tony asked, looking over his shoulder and sending Rhiannon a wink. "Ain't had a piece of ass in weeks."

Rhiannon could feel the anger radiating from her father who shifted in his seat. Hershel was never a violent man but he would learn if it meant keeping his daughter safe from scum bags like him.

"Listen, pardon my friend. City kids - they got no tact. No disrespect." Dave spoke to Rhiannon, though she doubted his sincerity. "So, listen, Glenn-"

"We've said enough." Rick interrupted coldly, the new knowledge Rhiannon had given him only fueling his anger and impatience with the two men.

"Well, hang on a second. This farm - it sounds pretty sweet."

"I'm sure you could find one of your own." Rhiannon said harshly, keeping her arms crossed over her chest with a glare marring her features.

"Oh, come on Sweetheart. I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We could pool our resources, our manpower."

"And our women...right?" Rhiannon tested him. She knew these were the bastards in the woods that talked about taking her, and with the way Dave glared at her just made her all the more certain.

Rick noticed the anger in the man's eyes and knew it was time to step in before Rhiannon pissed him off any more. "Look, I'm sorry. That's not an option."

An awkward silence settled over the room as the two men looked at each other in annoyed shock. "Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem." Dave shrugged.

"I'm sorry we can't." Hershel interjected, hoping his voice didn't give away how aggravated he was. There was no way he was letting them close to his daughter after the comments she'd received.

"We can't take in anymore."

Rhiannon watched with her nerves on edge as she listened to Dave try to sway Rick into agreeing. She couldn't help the pit in her stomach as he alluded to all the terrible things he'd done out on the road. His words rang in her head like an annoying alarm she couldn't turn off. _Ain't nobody's hands clean in what's left of this world._ She knew there was no way he could possibly know her inner demons or what she'd done while out on the road but she couldn't help but feel like he was calling her out, blaming her for her actions and mistakes.

The awkward tension in the air suddenly turned harsh as Rick once again made it clear they weren't coming back to the farm. Hershel quickly placed his hand around Rhiannon's shoulders, pulling her closer to him as Tony threatened to shoot them.

His grip on his eldest daughter tightened almost painfully as Dave jumped over the bar, barely avoiding kicking her in the face. Rhiannon stiffened, keeping her steely glare glued to him, watching his every move. She didn't trust him not to pull out his gun and start a shoot out. He certainly seemed the type to make stupid ass decisions like that.

"We're just friends having a drink. That's all. You can calm down, sweetheart." He sent a wink her way making her eyes narrow at him.

Rhiannon winced quietly at the grip on her arm and turned her head to look at her dad whose face was contorted into a glare so harsh it seemed almost funny that it was coming from _him,_ the always kind preacher.

"Dad, relax." She whispered, making his grip on her shoulder lighten.

Rhiannon noticed Rick place his hand over his holstered gun on his hip making her slowly back up into her father until she could move no more. Rick's eyes trailed over to meet hers, his face remaining cold as he looked at her, letting her know to get out of the way if Dave made any move.

"You gotta understand - we can't stay out there. You know what it's like."

All Rhiannon could do was roll her eyes as the man continued to plead to a deaf audience. The stiffness in Rick's voice as he shot them down again made her swallow nervously, she knew this wasn't going to end well. Apparently Hershel thought was fearing the same and slowly moved forwards, protectively putting himself in front of his daughter.

"Dad." She hissed through clenched teeth as quietly as possible. She didn't want him putting himself in front of the threat. Danger seemed to follow her wherever she went and she didn't want her dad to suffer because of it.

The silence was suffocating and Rhiannon wished for it to be over, it was too constricting. The loud gunshot that cracked through the air the second Dave had inched toward his gun on the counter wasn't exactly the break of silence she had wanted.

She flinched and grasped onto her father's arm, squeezing tightly. She laid her head on his back, trying to suppress the urge to cry as two more shots rang out. A myriad of images flashed through her mind at the familiar sound. She saw the faces of innocent people who had fallen victim to the harsh monsters the new world had created. She saw them crying and screaming for help, something she couldn't give them.

Rick's features softened as he looked over at the young woman leaning on her father, cowering like a scared child. There was a small nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him it wasn't the first time she had seen this kind of death. Rick had dealt with people suffering with PTSD before and seeing the signs on the woman he'd come to respect so greatly was heartbreaking.

Just seconds before she was a brave woman, ready to stand in front of her father and protect the man whose job it was to protect her and now she was a whimpering, scared girl who hid behind her father.

"Everyone ok?" He said slowly, making sure to look over at Glenn so Rhiannon wouldn't be embarrassed or feel like she was being coddled. Rick hadn't known her for long but he guessed she wouldn't have appreciated being picked out of the group.

Rhiannon finally lifted her head and pulled away from her father, her eyes flickering down to the body that lay on the floor. The pool of blood surrounding him slowly grew with each passing second.

"Yeah, I'm good." She responded monotonously, her eyes still trained on the body as she felt the familiar numbness spreading throughout her whole body.

* * *

"We can't find Lori and the others aren't back yet." Carol panted as she rushed towards Daryl who sat calmly by his fire. She knew he had decided to leave the campsite and get some space, she just hadn't realized how far he'd gone.

"That dumb bitch must've gone off looking for 'em."

"What?"

"Yeah, she asked me to go. Told her I was done being an errand boy."

Carol widened her eyes and she knew Daryl didn't know Rhiannon had gone with them otherwise he would've been the first one ready to go bring them back. No matter how hard he tried to hide it or deny it, Carol knew how he felt about the young woman. She saw the way his eyes would follow her and she saw the small quirk of his lips she'd only ever seen him give to her. Daryl would not be sitting and brooding if he knew that the woman of his affection was in danger.

But she didn't want him to shy away like he always did every time Rhiannon was mentioned so she let it slide - for now. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked him, getting back to Lori and the reason she had come to find him.

Daryl stayed quiet, wallowing in his guilt for yet another thing he had screwed up that day. Lori wasn't his responsibility but she was a mother to a young boy and he knew he would feel terrible if something happened to leave Carl without a mom, all because he didn't tell someone she had come to him asking for help.

He just couldn't be bothered with other people's issues. He had enough of his own and after what he'd done earlier to a girl that was actually worth a damn, nothing else mattered.

"Don't do this. Please." Carol hated seeing him close in on himself. She knew he was a good man who deserved better and she knew he didn't see it the same way. "I've already lost my girl."

Daryl stood up angrily at the mention of another person he had done wrong. "That wasn't my problem neither." He spat at her and started to walk away.

"Rhiannon's out there." Carol said abruptly, relishing in the way he stopped in his tracks.

Daryl tensed but didn't turn to face her. His heart beat faster at her words. A part of him refused to believe it but deep down he knew Carol was telling the truth. That girl was the bravest person he ever met, obviously she went out into the town that was infested with walkers. Why would he ever doubt that?

He cursed under his breath and ran a hand over his tired face.

"She went with Rick and Glenn and they haven't come back." Carol spoke with conviction, her voice strong as she knew she had finally gotten through to him. _I should've led with that,_ she thought to herself, rolling her eyes at her stupidity for thinking Daryl would care about anyone but the young woman who had him mesmerized.

"Just thought you should know." She mumbled as she stomped past him. She tried to be angry at the man for his harsh attitude but Carol was still a caring soul and she couldn't help but feel pity and sadness at the fear on his face.

But Carol kept walking, knowing anything she'd say would probably make him lash out so she decided to leave him with his thoughts, hoping he'd make the right decision.

Daryl didn't even notice her leave. His mind was too busy running a mile a minute, conjuring up horrible images of Rick and Glenn carrying her limp body back to the farm. He knew she was tough but this world was unforgiving and even the strongest could fall.

He prayed she was ok. He wanted more time with her. He just hoped she hadn't left him thinking he didn't want her.

* * *

 **I'm back!**

 **I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long, I was on an exchange for school and was super busy and jet lag is a bitch so it took me forever to write this.**

 **I'm really not feeling this chapter, and I'm sorry there's no interaction between them but the plot demands it. I just want them to be together but that can't happen right now cause they're both stubborn children, but we are definitely getting there, slowly but surely.**

 **I promise the next chapter will not take over a month to come out, I'm back to my regular schedule so expect it in about a weeks time. And expect some pissy Daryl freaking out about his lil' crush and get ready for more dirt about Rhiannon's time alone.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading and thank you for being patient! xx**


	15. Chapter 15

Loud breathing was all that could be heard in the otherwise silent room. Rick had motioned for Rhiannon and Glenn to get to the back room of the bar to get to the only other exit. Rhiannon had immediately disagreed but one look at her father's desperate face and she reluctantly left him.

She was turning over a new leaf, she had just told him she was going to change so she thought it'd be a little unfair to immediately disobey him.

"You ok?" Glenn asked with a shaking voice, placing a hand on her shoulder. He'd noticed the way she had clammed up ever since Rick had shot the two men. Not the he wasn't shaken up too, but Rhiannon was a certified badass, he found it hard to imagine her with any fear.

The blonde nodded, but her wide eyes that stared forward vacantly told him otherwise. "We're trapped. We can't get out, we're not gon-"

Her frantic voice snapped him out of his buzzing nervousness. He had to step up and be the brave one and calm her down.

"Hey, hey, stop." Glenn turned around to face her, placing the shot gun down on the ground so he could place his hands on her shoulders, making her face him. "It's gonna be fine. Rick knows what he's doing."

Rhiannon looked up at him with sad eyes, something he never expected to see on her. "I'm sorry, I just-" She sighed deeply, placing her hands over her face. "I've seen groups like this. I've seen people kill just for a bag of food." Glenn frowned, his shoulders stiffening at her words and the surprise that she was actually telling him about her life. From what Maggie had told him, that was something that was rare to come by.

"I can't watch that happen again." Her voice was small and scared making his grip on her tighten protectively. He thought of Maggie and how much she idolized her sister and made a silent promise to her that he would protect the small woman in front of him.

"You won't."

Rhiannon stared back at Glenn whose look of determination actually managed to calm her down. She didn't think of him as someone who could survive this world, he was too sweet, too kind, but he made her realize that those qualities weren't totally lost in this new hell, that good people still existed. She remembered the way he jumped in front of the door as it started to open. Glenn was a fighter and it made her feel a lot better knowing he would look after Maggie with the same kindness and loyalty he'd shown earlier.

She suddenly wrapped her arms around him, surprising him again. Glenn smiled lightly and wrapped his arms around her. "We're gonna be ok." He whispered.

She nodded more sternly this time and pulled away. The worry that creased her features were gone, making her look more confident as she reached up and pulled her sword from it's place on her back. The sound of the metal clashing with the sheath echoed in the room making Glenn jump slightly. He looked over at her in a more familiar light, _now that's more like it,_ he thought to himself.

"So...you good?" Glenn asked hesitantly. Rhiannon nodded, looking at him quizzically. His strong stance was now gone leaving him to tremble and bite his lip. "So you wouldn't mind if I start to freak out a bit?" He breathed out, his face creasing with worry.

Helping Rhiannon had been a good distraction for him but now he really started to rethink his words to her. Would they be ok? People were just shooting at them, friends of the people who a member of their group had just killed. His mind was racing causing his heart to race even faster.

Rhiannon gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously?" She hissed angrily. "What about everything you just said?"

Glenn shrugged. "It was the first shit that came into my head."

"Oh my god." She mumbled, running a hand through her tangled hair.

The sound of footsteps outside caught their attention causing the both of them to look at each other in bewilderment. The doorknob slowly started to turn making Rhiannon grip onto her sword so tight her knuckles turned white.

Glenn stepped in front of her, blocking her from the door and fired his gun, the shot breaking the glass.

The pair breathed heavily, Rhiannon gripping onto the back of his shirt.

"Glenn?! Rhiannon!" Rick yelled from the front of the bar, his heart racing after hearing the shot.

"We-we're alright. We're alright." Glenn yelled back, leaving Rick and Hershel to let out a sigh of relief.

Glenn moved behind a pillar close to the broken door that left them feeling exposed. Rhiannon swiftly followed, moving on her toes to silence her footsteps.

The two of them stared out the open space where the glass used to be, watching for any movement. Rhiannon held her sword with her left hand, her right coming up to grip onto Glenn's arm that was trembling slightly. She squeezed, letting him know it was ok, and that he wasn't the only one who was scared out of their mind.

Footsteps were heard behind them making the both of them tense simultaneously. Rhiannon turned on her heel, her arm swinging up as she moved. She let out a small gasp as she saw her father with his hands up, an annoyed and slightly nervous expression on his face. It was then that she realized her sword was against his neck threateningly.

"Oh shit." She whispered, dropping her weapon to the ground. Hershel let out a small sigh now that the blade wasn't in his face and wrapped his daughter into a tight hug. "Sorry." She whispered frantically.

He almost wanted to laugh, It wasn't everyday that you're child held a sword to your neck.

"You're ok?" He whispered. He felt her nod against his chest. Hershel felt relieved that she was holding up as well as she was. Her behaviour before had unnerved him, he'd never seen her so scared before.

Hershel gave Glenn a nod as Rhiannon pulled away from him. "Rick wants you two to try for the car."

"Try?" Glenn clarified, baffled at the indication they may not make it.

"You'll try and succeed. I'll cover you." Hershel replied confidently causing Rhiannon to look over at him, puzzled by the image of him with a gun in his hands.

"There something you wanna tell me?" She asked, motioning to the weapon he held in his hand without fear.

"I did have a life before you came around." Hershel told her with a smirk. It was amusing to him that he was finally the one to shock her. It had always been the other way around.

Rhiannon smirked and turned to Glenn who looked ready to pass out. She grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to the door. "Come on, don't puss out on me now." Glenn just glared at her in response. "Ok, I'll go first and-"

"No, no way. I'm going first."

"Are you kidding me? What, you're gonna get all chauvinistic now?"

"Rhiannon," Hershel hissed quietly. He gave her a stern look, letting her know that now wasn't the time to argue. "Just let him go first."

"Fine." She whispered through gritted teeth.

Hershel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was the damn apocalypse and he was holding gun, so why did he feel like a kindergarten teacher?

Glenn slowly opened the doors causing them all to wince at the noise it emitted. "Ok. Good luck." She told him. He just continued to breathe deeply, giving her an unconvincing smile.

Rhiannon slowly stepped back, letting her father get in front of her, his gun raised, ready to take down anyone that tried to hurt Glenn.

The sound of a gunshot rang out causing her to jump. "Oh shit, shit, shit." She muttered, hurrying to stand beside her father. She cringed at the sounds the injured man was making, she felt bad but had to remind herself that he was the enemy. "Glenn?" She called out softly, her voice shaking slightly.

She went to move forward but a hand caught her arm, making her stop. "Don't." Hershel said, his heart racing. There was no way he was letting his baby girl out into the middle of this, not without him by her side.

"Dad, we have to see if he's ok." She argued.

"What happened?" Rick's voice called out as he ran towards them. He placed a hand on Rhiannon's shoulder, glad to see that she was ok.

"He fired. He must've hit Glenn. He's behind the dumpster. Doesn't look like he's moving."

Rhiannon grit her teeth and looked out to the left. She didn't see anyone, just the one man her father had shot. "Fuck it, I'm going." She slithered out of her father's grasp and moved out of the doorway, ignoring the whispered but stern calls of her name.

Rick cursed quietly and gripped his gun tightly, slowly following after the girl.

"That girl's gonna give me a heart attack one of these days." Hershel mumbled, lifting his gun to cover her back.

Rhiannon quickly scurried to the dumpster where she noticed Glenn's legs poking out. She took cover behind it and her whole body sagged when she noticed him breathing and alive, looking pretty well shocked to the core.

"Are you ok? Did you get hit?" She asked, grabbing his arm, looking for any signs of injury. Glenn shook his head, his gaze still locked in the scared, faraway look he had. "What the fuck is wrong with you, why didn't you answer? Scared the shit outta me."

"S-sorry." He replied shakily. Rhiannon frowned and grabbed his trembling hand.

"It's ok. Come on, we gotta you home so your dumb ass can tell my sister you love her." She joked, thinking back to his crisis in the car. It was like a cinder block was suddenly dropped onto her chest as she thought of _her_ crisis with Daryl. She rolled her eyes angrily, _can I not go ten minutes without thinking about that dick?_

"Everyone good?" Rick asked, ducking down beside her.

"Yeah, we're good." She replied for the both of them. Rick noticed the state of Glenn and nodded slowly.

"It's alright. The car's right there. We're almost home." Rick reassured him causing Rhiannon to smile. She was so glad to have a man like him in her corner, in her family's corner. "Let's go."

The three of them stood slowly, Rick leading them as the emerged from their hiding spot. Gunshots hit the dumpster in front of them causing them to jump back.

"Get back!" Rick yelled, putting an arm around Rhiannon to block her body. They looked to where the shots came from, spotting a man on the roof.

They watched as one of their group members pulled up in their car, yelling at the man that they were leaving. That made Rhiannon smile, they had done it, they didn't have to face any of the plunderers she had feared.

She winced, as the guy on the roof jumped, his scream echoing through the night.

"Get Hershel." Rick told Glenn before grabbing her hand, pulling her up and keeping her close to him as they ran out from behind the bar. "Get the car started and wait for us." He told her, his authoritative voice leaving no room for arguments.

Rhiannon nodded and parted from his side, suddenly feeling very exposed without him. She noticed a few ambling bodies by the vehicle making her clench onto her weapon tightly. Her sword swung viciously, cutting down the bodies within seconds and only managing to get a few blood splatters on her which surprised her, she usually ended up covered.

She slid into the driver's seat, her hands fumbling with the keys before the sound of the engine starting was heard. She let out a sigh and leaned her head back as the familiar sound of Johnny Cash - which had been the last thing they'd been listening to at Rick's request - filled the car.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently, waiting for the three men to return. "Fuck, come on." She muttered, watching with confusion as her father and Glenn ran right past the car to where Rick was with the kid who had jumped.

She noticed Glenn step closer to the car to start shooting the walkers that had emerged from the trees behind them. Rhiannon turned and noticed the figures that got closer, too many for just her and Glenn to take out.

She grit her teeth and swore loudly, finally putting the car into drive. She swerved to the other side of the street and rolled the window down.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" She yelled to Rick who stood with her father. She glared at the man from the roof who she now realized was practically a kid. "We gotta go, now!"

Rick grit his teeth, weighing his options. "Rick, come on!" Glenn yelled, shooting into the growing crowd once more before hopping into the back seat of the car.

"Hershel come on!" He yelled, grabbing the older man and pulling him away from the kid who screamed, pleading with them, begging them not to leave him. Rick groaned and quickly pushed the kid's leg off the fence where it had impaled him.

Thankfully the kid's loud scream had cut off quickly as he passed out from the pain.

"Who the fuck is this?" Rhiannon asked frantically as Rick carried him to the car, sliding him in the backseat where Hershel and Glenn sat.

Rick ignored her question, not knowing the answer himself. He raced to his spot in the passenger seat, the car speeding off as soon as his door had slammed shut.

Rick closed his eyes, panting hard as he slouched in his seat. The raspy voice of Johnny Cash was the only thing heard as they drove away from the infested town.

 _Ain't no grave can hold my body down_

Rick frowned at the ironic lyrics and turned the volume down so they were all left in complete silence.

* * *

Daryl paced back and forth until he felt dizzy. His hands rubbed at his face angrily as he fought in his mind what his next move was.

He so desperately wanted to jump on his bike and tear the town apart until he found her and bring her back safe and sound. But another part of him thought back to the look on her face when he had pushed her away and spouted lies.

Daryl knew he was the last person she'd want to see.

He sighed loudly. He wished he could go back this afternoon, before he had screwed everything up. He wished he was with her, her lips on his, her fingers tangled in his hair as he held her close.

"Fuck." He whispered. He knew he'd fucked up, probably ruined their relationship for good.

He figured they never would've ended up together, just the thought of a romantic relationship made Daryl's palms sweat and his heart beat faster, like he was about to have a panic attack. But Rhiannon was his friend too, someone he could talk to about anything, just the stupid shit that was on his mind or maybe even his life before this. He felt guilty that he knew so much about her life but she knew nothing about him or his past. He had actually considered opening up to her, _guess I missed my chance on that._

Well, she _did_ know about his asshole brother. Daryl smirked, remembering what first pulled him in. The small girl had kicked his brother's ass, something he'd been wanting to do for years. That alone granted her his respect.

She was so easy to talk to, she put him at ease and she was someone who made him laugh. He was afraid he'd never get that back. It was a rarity for him to even find someone who could do that to him, and there's the small fact that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. That was a plus. He had something good and he had fucked it up bad.

The noise of a twig snapping broke him out of his thoughts. He noticed Carol walking around his camp hesitantly. "What are you doing?" He spoke roughly making her jump.

"Keeping an eye on you."

"Ain't you a peach." He snarled sarcastically.

"I'm not gonna let you pull away."

Daryl flinched like he'd just been slapped. Carol's words were exactly what Rhiannon had said to him earlier, before he made a complete ass of himself. Daryl felt a wave of anger wash over him. Carol was trying to help him, trying to pry into his space so he did what he did best, he lashed out at her. He yelled at her until he ran out of breath. He mentioned her dead husband, her dead daughter, thinking it would hurt her enough that she'd leave him alone.

But Carol stayed, taking every verbal hit, until she flinched, thinking she was in for a real hit.

Daryl stiffened, taking a few steps back from the frightened woman. He was filled with regret, everything that had happened today was like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. But he knew that every bad thing was his fault. Sophia's death was his fault he couldn't find her fast enough. Lashing out at Rhiannon, lashing out at Carol, it was all because he was a coward, too scared of letting anyone get close.

Daryl averted his eyes to the ground, Carol's calculating gaze was too much to handle. He bit at his thumb, kicking at the dirt beneath him.

"Why are you still here?" Carol asked, breaking the tense silence.

Daryl looked up, a blank look on his face. He knew she was talking about Rhiannon. He wasn't the only one that had thought he'd be out there as soon as possible to bring her back. Daryl sighed, raking his hands through his hair, turning his back on the older woman. He grit his teeth in frustration, _Guess I was too obvious._

He felt embarrassed that Carol, and most likely everyone else, knew that he cared about the eldest Greene girl.

"Not my job."

"I know it's not. But I know that it's killing you knowing she's in danger."

Daryl tensed, spinning around to face her. "You don't fucking know anythin'." He snapped, even though he knew she was right.

Carol sighed. "I know you feel like you don't deserve someone like her but you're wrong. You think she's lived this luxurious, amazing life that you have no part of but she's more like you than you may think."

Carol had seen Daryl's scars when he was injured. If Rhiannon knew she might not feel so disheartened by her own. They could heal together. Carol wanted to scream at them for acting like children, she just wanted them to be together. She knew they made each other happy and that's all she wanted for them.

Daryl's heart stuttered. How the hell could Carol know exactly what made him anxious, exactly the reason he had pushed Rhiannon away? He just sneered, ignoring what she had said. She was just trying to make him feel better.

Carol's shoulders sagged in defeat, she knew it would be difficult to get his head straight, to make the stubborn man realize he deserved something good in his life. She sighed and took a step back, beginning to walk away.

She hesitated slightly, turning around to see him standing alone, looking more confused than ever. Carol frowned, wishing she could just lock the two of them in a room together and only let them out once they've realized how good they were for each other.

"You two are good together. Don't let anyone else think you're not."

Daryl frowned, his head snapping up to look at Carol who was already walking away.

He scoffed and kicked a lump of dirt on the ground.

Carol could try her hardest but it wouldn't change what he did. She said they were good together, that just hurt him more.

They _were_ good together, he knew they were from the beginning and that's what terrified him. Daryl thought of her as a friend, and that definitely wasn't easy to come by, especially nowadays and more especially for him.

It just hurt more knowing he had fucked up something so good, something even other people could see the good in.

He wanted so badly to get over his fear, his self hatred, to finally just accept that someone cared and care about them back.

Daryl _did_ care about Rhiannon but it was useless because she had no idea.

He sighed, he knew what he was. He was an asshole redneck who had no right tainting her life.

* * *

Daryl clenched his fists tightly as he watched Andrea talking to Dale. He sighed angrily, scratching at the back of his head impatiently. If she didn't want to come that was fine with him, they'd be on their way a lot faster.

He wasn't too happy about Shane going out to look for the others but he figured it was better to have more backup out there, though he doubted how reliable a man like him would be in a live or die situation. Daryl didn't trust him to have his back, not after how he'd treated Rhiannon.

Daryl rolled his eyes for the hundredth time that morning. _These assholes sure are takin' their sweet time,_ he thought in annoyance.

"We goin' or what?" He barked to Shane who was making his way to the car, and not fast enough for Daryl. The man just ignored him, stuffing his guns into the open trunk in silence.

Daryl had decided he didn't care if Rhiannon was pissed at him or not, he just needed to know she was ok and if he got a slap in the face for it - which he definitely felt he deserved - it would be well worth it just to have some peace of mind.

Hell, it would probably make him like her even more if she slapped him.

Daryl, Shane, T-Dog, and Andrea all raised their heads as they heard the distant sound of an engine. They noticed the sleek black car coming up the driveway and the wild mane of blonde hair in the driver's seat was unmistakeable.

"Thank god." Daryl mumbled, letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He hadn't realized how tightly wound he'd been for the last twelve hours until he had felt that instant relief seeing her had brought.

Andrea turned her gaze to him, her eyebrows raised questioningly. Had she heard that right? It wasn't surprising to her that Daryl had been relieved to see his friend, she'd noticed how close he and Rhiannon had gotten, she just didn't realize they'd been _that_ close. Getting a 'thank god' out of Daryl Dixon was practically impossible she'd thought.

Rhiannon couldn't help but smile as she turned the car off and stepped out into the fresh air. She was just glad their night from hell was over and she was back with her family.

She hadn't stopped thinking about Beth the whole way back. Oddly enough, thinking about her comatose baby sister was easier than thinking about Daryl. She tried to ignore him as she noticed the rest of the group approaching but she could feel his burning gaze on her. _Just keep your eyes forward, don't even give him the time of day._

She watched as Maggie ran towards the car but completely side stepped their dad, going straight for Glenn who had barely hugged her back at all. Rhiannon's look of surprise was pretty comical, she turned around mouthing the word 'awkward' to T-Dog who looked about as ready to laugh as she did.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, but who was she to judge, It's not like she always made the best decisions.

"Glad to see you back in one piece." Dale approached her, a warm smile on his face that made Rhiannon unable to stop her own smile from lighting up her tired features.

"Glad to be back." She replied. "Everything went ok here?"

Dale laughed slightly at her worry for them even though _they_ weren't the ones risking their lives in a walker infested town. "We're all fine." He reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Rhiannon nodded and turned towards Maggie who made her way towards her, her face creased in worry. Rhiannon sighed, "I'm ok. I promise." She tried to ease her mind but the breath was knocked out of her as Maggie threw her arms around her, almost knocking her small frame to the ground.

"Is Beth ok?"

Maggie stiffened slightly and pulled away slowly. "She's..." She paused, trying to find the right words so she didn't freak her sister out too much. "She hasn't changed."

Rhiannon sighed deeply and looked down. She was about question her sister when T-Dog shifted her attention.

"Who the hell is that?"

"That's Randall." Glenn replied lazily. They were all so exhausted. It hadn't been easy dealing with the hysterical teenager when he woke up while Hershel was his bloody leg with the sweater Rhiannon had thrown in her trunk weeks ago.

Shane immediately stomped forward making Rhiannon duck out of his way quickly, she did not have the energy to deal with him.

She watched as Rick, Shane and T-Dog carried him over to the shed while the others filed into the house to discuss what to do with him. She honestly couldn't care less about the guy, she figured whatever Rick said would go and she was more than ok with that.

She began to follow everyone else into the house when a gruff voice from behind stopped her in her tracks.

"'M glad you're ok."

Rhiannon tensed and turned her head slightly, just enough to see him shift nervously on his feet. "Thanks." She mumbled and swiftly turned, walking up the steps to the house before he could say anything else.

 _Gonna have to do better than that, Dixon,_ she thought to herself, ignoring the way her heart beat faster at his concern for her.

* * *

 **Ok, so I know I said that you'd be getting some more info about Rhiannon's past but I got a little carried away with Rhiannon and Glenn so I didn't have room for what I had planned. I just love those two together.**

 **So** _ **next**_ **chapter, get ready for more secrets!**

 **And I'm thinking of making a playlist for the story so if you have any songs you think would fit let me know!**

 **As always, thanks to the people who reviewed and favourited, you make me smile so much, it's unbelievable! Thanks for reading! xx**


	16. Chapter 16

Rhiannon tried and failed yet again to stifle another yawn. She rested her chin on her arms that were crossed on the surface of the table. She wanted nothing more than to make sure her baby sister was ok and then nap for a week straight. But everyone was on edge and their new prisoner needed to be dealt with.

The only reason she was forcing herself to stay awake was her fear that Shane would dictate the discussion, forcing himself as the leader she knew he so desperately wanted to be.

It had become Rhiannon's new life goal to derail that man every chance she got.

She spied Carol sitting at the other end of the table giving her a small, endearing smile. Rhiannon could only force a weak one back.

The door creaked open, gaining her attention. Her spine stiffened, her body suddenly on alert as Daryl entered, a sheepish expression on his usually hard face as he looked over at her. It was odd to see him like that, almost as if he were cowering from her. Weirdly that didn't make her feel smug like she would've thought. She felt dejected - an emotion that wouldn't seem to leave her for the past 24 hours.

Rhiannon noticed the small nod he sent Carol which caused a look of shock to spread over the older woman's features before a small smile was returned causing a strange feeling of jealousy to spread over her. Daryl would never show any kind of emotion or care for anyone, that's practically what their whole fight was about, so she was taken aback at his open display at Carol.

She inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. _I'm not supposed to care what he does._ And Carol seemed to have a soft spot for Daryl, Rhiannon was glad she was finally getting through to him, she just wished it could've happened a few hours earlier to save herself from embarrassment.

Daryl's eyes roamed over to her again causing Rhiannon to look away abruptly and finally pay attention to what was being said.

"Just gonna let him go? He knows where we are."

It was a reasonable worry but because it came from Shane it made Rhiannon roll her eyes. "He was blindfolded the whole time and unconscious for most of the ride, he has no idea where he is. He's not a threat."

Her tone was sharp, causing Shane to narrow his eyes at her and simultaneously causing Daryl to shift on his feet, ready to beat the man into the ground if he made one move towards her.

"Not a threat." Shane repeated sarcastically. "How many of them were there? You kill three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking?"

"They left him for dead. _No one_ is looking for him." Rick said harshly, stepping in before Rhiannon could blow up at him. He could see her practically vibrating in her chair from where he stood behind it.

A heavy silence took over the room as no one dared to say their piece in fear of getting shot down. They all had their opinions, some didn't want to say them outloud and admit what they were willing to do to keep the group safe.

Rhiannon twirled her fingers together anxiously, staring down at the table. She took in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to share.

"There were men in the woods the other day." She spoke up, all eyes turning towards her as her monotone voice continued. "They heard my voice and they wanted to find me, to use me. Maybe they would've taken me back to their group, give them a turn." She ignored the way the men in the group tensed and the woman flinched at her words and kept going.

"Those were the men that we met in town. Now, that was only two of them, I can't speak for the rest of their group but I'm willing to bet I don't wanna find out. But we shouldn't play God. No matter how bad someone is, unless they threaten me directly, I don't wanna be the one to decide whether they live or die. There's worse men out there, let him take his chance with them."

The group was silent as they digested her words, all except Shane.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You wanna give this kid a chance because you're too much of a coward to kill him yourself?"

 _Finally,_ Rhiannon thought to herself, fighting off a smirk. She knew soon enough Shane would start to show his true colours to everyone. "You think sparing someone's life is cowardly?"

"This fucker shot at you! He's not innocent."

"If two of us were killed wouldn't you go find the people that did it, guns blazing?" Rick argued making Rhiannon let out a small sigh of relief. She was so glad he was on her side in this.

Shane just scoffed in response, crossing his arms over his chest. It went quiet again as everyone thought of the words that had been shared.

"You said there were worse men out there, what did you mean by that?" Lori asked, looking to Rhiannon. The scared look on her face as she clutched an arm around Carl made her hesitate but she noticed everyone else looking to her, waiting for an answer.

She licked her lips and her quiet voice rang out to break the tense silence. "Before I got here I was with a small group. They found me while I was looking for food and they took me in. It was two couples with their kids...they were nice to me, gave me food, water, a place to sleep." She paused, feeling a lump in her throat.

"One day I went out to the pharmacy, one of the kids had a fever and none of the parents wanted to leave their kids so I went by myself. When I got back to the store we were staying in, there was a car parked out front. I didn't recognize it so I hid. I could hear gunshots and screaming but I didn't move. I knew I'd be killed the second they saw me. I didn't even have a gun so I did nothing." She spoke harshly now, the feeling of regret overwhelming her.

Rhiannon kept her eyes down, refusing to look at anyone, she couldn't face the looks on their faces. She didn't want to see what they thought of her. "There were five men who walked out with all our supplies. They killed seven people -children- for a bag of food, sleeping bags and a first aid kit. They killed to get ahead and I don't _ever_ want to be like that. I don't wanna kill someone just because it makes my life easier."

She blinked rapidly, trying to regain her eyesight that had been blurred by tears. She swallowed her emotion and looked up at Shane sternly. "So if that's how you wanna be, like those men, you go right ahead."

Rhiannon leaned back in her seat, arms crossed tightly against her chest. She began to feel bad for everything she'd revealed when she noticed the ashen look on Carl's face as Lori cradled him closer to her.

She looked to the others at the table, noticing all their horrified expressions. Carol had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and sympathetic. Maggie looked about ready to throw herself across the table to get to her and most likely crush her in a hug. T-Dog chewed on his nails nervously while Dale and Andrea looked like they were ready to be sick. Glenn just kept his head down, which she was grateful for.

She was glad her father and Rick were standing behind her and she didn't have to see their faces.

But it was Daryl's reaction that made her stomach sink. His jaw was set, his teeth clenched tightly as he thought of her in danger, how close she'd come to being killed. His whole body was tense, but his usually hard eyes were soft and scared as he looked at her. He couldn't even fathom going through this apocalypse shit without her.

Daryl had never been a happy person, someone who could find laughter in the darkest of places, someone who looked on the bright side. But he knew he'd never laughed or smiled as much as he ever had in just the couple of weeks he'd spent getting to know Rhiannon.

The thought of him never having known her made him feel empty. He knew his life would've been the same bleak and disappointing mess it had always been if she hadn't been here.

Rhiannon was floored by the fear she saw in Daryl's eyes and she had to look away.

The shocked silence of the group didn't last long as Shane scoffed in disbelief. "You can't tell me you're buyin' this shit." He voiced angrily, his hard eyes set on Rick who couldn't contain his eye roll at his friend.

Rick was really starting to lose his patience with him lately.

"Shane-" Lori snapped at him, reprimanding him for his words. She had seen how Shane had treated Rhiannon and it shocked her. He was like a completely different person as soon as she was around.

Shane ignored her and took a threatening step forward, his eyes set on the young blonde who stared back at him equally coldly, as if teasing him for a fight. "You're pathetic, you know that? You're not willing to stand up for your family cause'a some assholes who scared you." He let out a short laugh that sounded sinister. "You definitely won't make it far in this world."

Rhiannon couldn't tell if that was a threat or if he was just trying to wind her up, looking for an excuse to lash out at her.

Rick's eyes widened in shock at his friend's words before a harsh glare settled on his face. He did not like the way he was talking to her, the person that had continually risked her life for them.

He knew there was something going on between the two of them but Rhiannon had made it clear to him that she didn't want to tell him so he let it go. _Guess I gotta try again._

Shane looked around at everyone and noticed the glares and looks of shock they were giving him. He suddenly felt cornered, like everyone was turning on him. The look of disbelief Lori gave him made him clench his fists until his knuckles were white.

He scoffed and started to walk out of the room. "Fuckin' ridiculous." He muttered under his breath, though it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet." Hershel followed behind him closely. He had stayed quiet for so long but Shane had finally pushed him over the edge.

"Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all - this is my farm. Now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor - keep your mouth shut. And if you ever talk to my daughter like that again, you won't be getting another chance." Hershel spoke harshly to the brash man, causing looks of surprise to show on everyone's faces.

Rhiannon bit her lip and placed her hand over her mouth to hide her growing smile. Her father turned and gave her a soft look, fierce protectiveness flashing in his eyes. She nodded at him slowly, letting him know how much she appreciated what he had done for her.

As everyone began to filter out of the room, Daryl spared one last glance over at Rhiannon, but she wasn't looking at him. He felt his nerves begin to spike, too much had been said in the last couple of minutes that made him want to punch something, preferably Shane.

He could tell she wasn't even close to forgiving him - _well of course she isn't, you haven't even apologized yet, asshole_ \- he reprimanded himself.

The things she'd said about those men out on the road and the things Shane had said to her all made his blood boil. He just had to get out of the house. He gave Carol a fleeting look as she eyed him curiously, she'd seen how he reacted to Rhiannon's story and even though she felt bad for it, she felt smug knowing she was right about how he felt for the young woman.

Daryl ignored her prying glance and stormed out of the house, causing Rhiannon's gaze to fall on the swinging door and his back as he stomped away. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. _Definitely didn't expect_ this _kind of drama in the fucking apocalypse._

She was about ready to pass out on the table when a hand landed on her shoulder, startling her. Her tired eyes lifted to see Rick giving her a weak smile. "Get some rest."

He was using his authoritative dad voice again and she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. She nodded slowly and stood up on shaky legs.

Rick eyed her thoughtfully, chewing on his bottom lip. "I appreciate what you did - telling us about what you went through."

Rhiannon furrowed her brow. "How do my sob stories help you in anyway?"

"You survived weeks by yourself, none of us have ever done that and god forbid any of us ever have to. But you did. You know what it takes to survive, you make us stronger."

Rick frowned at the quizzical look on her face. She didn't believe him. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair that needed a wash. "I'll see you later." He said and began to make his way outside but stopped after just a few steps. "I'm sorry about what Shane said."

Rhiannon tensed and wished she hadn't because she could feel his calculating gaze on her, eyeing her every movement and was no doubt speculating what it meant.

She shrugged casually. "Not your fault he's like that."

Rick nodded, eyeing her carefully for a few more seconds before giving up. She wasn't going to give anything away.

He finally walked away, giving her the space she needed after the stressful day she'd already been having. She noticed Beth's door was open and no matter how much it would hurt to see her baby sister so distraught, Rhiannon still needed to see her.

She walked slowly, dreading what she would find behind the door. When her slow moving pace finally allowed her to enter the room, she held her breath. She was thankful her Dad was already there, putting an iv in Beth's arm.

The spacy blue eyes of her sister was too heartbreaking to see, Rhiannon had to avert her eyes and ended up staring at the bracelet Beth had on her wrist. She had a similar one, Beth had made them and given one to her and Maggie. _Fuck, I don't even know where I put it, or if I ever even wore it._

She felt tears sting her eyes and she knelt beside the bed, taking her Beth's cold hand in hers. "She's gonna be ok, right?" Rhiannon asked tearfully, her voice strained.

"She'll be fine. Just needs to get some food in her." Hershel answered with a light tone, hoping to make his daughter calm down.

Rhiannon continued to stare down that damn bracelet, a wave of guilt overtaking her. "I was such a shitty sister, a shitty daughter."

Hershel stared at his eldest daughter, his hopeful expression gone. "Thank you for forgiving me." She said, her voice breaking as a few tears escaped her brown eyes that were identical to her mother's.

Hershel shook his head. "Don't thank me for anything." He reached over and laid his hand on hers that was intertwined with Beth's. "My biggest regret was sending you away all those years ago. I wish I could change everything but I can't. And the important thing to remember is that you're here now."

Rhiannon nodded and wiped her tears, giving her Dad a weak smile. He just squeezed her hand tighter in response.

He suddenly tensed, confusing her for a moment.

"What you said earlier...did that really happen?" Hershel choked out, his watery eyes staring at her intensely.

Rhiannon nodded slowly. "Yeah, it happened." There was a finality to her voice that let him know she didn't want to say anything more about it and he kept quiet, though it killed him inside knowing she was in danger and had been so scared. It explained why she got so freaked out at the bar the night before.

Footsteps were heard slowly coming into the room. Rhiannon looked up at Maggie who leaned against the door frame as her father went back to checking over Beth.

Despite the sweet words that had been exchanged, the mention of what she'd revealed caused a tense silence in the room.

Hershel knew he had made a mistake and his daughters were too headstrong to let that slip. He knew he was about to answer for his crimes.

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, her watery eyes staring him down. "You were drinking." She accused harshly.

"That was the least of my worries."

The calm tone of her father's answer just made her angrier. "You left and I didn't know what to do!"

"Maggie, calm down." Rhiannon interjected softly. She was so sick of everyone fighting.

Maggie stared at her sister with her mouth agape. "You're defending him now? What the hell, Rhiannon? You know what he did was wrong."

"I know and so does he. But he's here now and that's what matters."

Hershel smiled at his eldest who seemed to have grown overnight. After years of fighting and disagreeing, they finally had each other's backs, they could finally act like the father and daughter from a loving family they always knew they were.

Maggie's eyes trailed back and forth, looking at them both with disbelief before huffing and stomping out of the room. Rhiannon just sighed in annoyance, she always had been a bit of a drama queen.

"Why don't you take a nap." Hershel ordered softly, noticing her heavy eyelids blinking rapidly to try to keep herself awake.

Rhiannon shook her head. "I wanna stay with Beth."

"She'll be here when you wake up." Hershel stood and walked over to where she sat on the floor on the other side of the bed. "You have to take care of yourself."

She still looked unconvinced, unwilling to leave her sister's side.

Hershel sighed. "Do I have to threaten to ground you? Go."

"You know that never works." Rhiannon responded tiredly as she finally got to her feet.

Hershel laughed quietly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll wake you if anything changes."

Rhiannon nodded and lazily made her way out of the room and up the stairs to her own. She had forgotten how tired she was when she saw Beth in the state she was in but as soon as she flopped ungracefully onto her bed, her exhaustion was back in full force.

Within seconds, she was fast asleep. For her, sleep had always been hard to come by. Ballet was a competitive field, especially in the big city and there was no way Rhiannon ever wanted to move home so she was always the first one in the studio and the last one to leave. She had worked her ass off for years and now it seemed like the apocalypse wasn't going to let her rest with all the nightmares that plagued her every time she closed her eyes.

What seemed like seconds later, she opened her eyes. There was always a moment of bliss after first waking up, the moment before she remembered everything that was going on outside her bedroom door.

A low groan left her lips, she wished she could just roll over and go back to sleep but she could see the sun beginning to set from her open curtains and she knew she needed to go out to the real world.

Rhiannon still hesitated to move though. After everything that had happened the last couple of days - the barn, Shane, Daryl, Beth - she just wanted some time for herself.

She moved across her room to her desk where her old cassette tapes were, the ones that used to belong to her mother. She'd stolen them enough times for her mom to finally cave and just let her have them. She was surprised they still work, she'd thought they'd be worn out with the amount of times she'd listened to them over the years.

Rhiannon picked up an old Fleetwood Mac tape, her mother's favourite band, hence why she named her first daughter after one of their songs. A calming feeling spread over her the second she pressed play and the music started.

She felt like she was a kid again, dancing around the kitchen with her mother and a little toddler Maggie.

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and sat on the edge of her bed, her hands holding the tape player in her hands tightly, as if she were afraid it would be taken away from her.

She missed her mom, more than she could ever imagine. It had always been hard, going through the drama of school without her, growing up without her. But it wasn't until the world ended that Rhiannon really realized how lost she was without her mother.

She allowed herself to listen to a few more songs before finally deciding that she had shied away long enough. The young blonde hesitantly pressed stop and slowly took off the headphones, now only having the silence to accompany her, which she had always found unsettling.

Rhiannon could hear the chatter of the group before she even left her room. It had the same effect on her as it had the first day - she didn't want any part of it. Over the past couple of weeks she'd really grown fond of the group, and loved their company. But right now, she just didn't want to talk to anyone.

She quietly crept out of her room and made her way downstairs, ignoring the conversations that were happening just a room away. She went back to Beth's room, hoping to see her better, and to hide away from everyone else.

A loud sigh left her lips as she noticed the blank stare on Beth's face. She leaned back against the door and stepped closer. She hesitated slightly before a trembling hand was placed on Beth's cheek lovingly.

"Bethie, you gotta snap outta this. We need you." Rhiannon whispered, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "I know I haven't always been there for you and I can't apologize enough for that. But I love you more than anything and I can't stand seeing you like this." Her voice cracked making her sigh deeply, trying to regain her composure.

Beth was unresponsive making the heavy feeling in her chest even worse. Rhiannon carefully laid on the bed next to her, making sure not to disturb her all the while looking for a change of expression on her face. There was none.

She wrapped her arms around Beth and pulled her as close as possible. She started running her hands through her blonde hair - it was what her mother always used to do for her as a child when she was sick.

Rhiannon closed her eyes tightly and tried to find peace just holding her sister, despite everything else that was going on.

* * *

Daryl entered the house, handing the kills on his belt to Carol and Patricia in the kitchen. He found it strange that Hershel still invited them all in for dinner despite what had happened and the tense words that were exchanged between him and Shane earlier.

He wasn't complaining though, it was better than sitting on the ground in front of a fire all night. And it allowed him to see Rhiannon which he definitely wouldn't complain about, no matter how differently _she_ might feel about him.

Daryl had been out in the woods for hours, working out his apology to her when he should've been focusing on the hunt. What normally would've taken two hours took five because he was too damn distracted.

It was his own fault. He messed everything up and now it was his job to fix it. Before, Daryl couldn't have cared less if he hurt someone's feelings, but this was different. And she was a million times more important than anyone else he ever met in his sorry life.

He maneuvered past everyone that had congregated in the front room to get to the bathroom. He needed to wash the blood and dirt off his hands. He felt like he could finally breathe when he was in the dark hallway alone.

He was grateful he wasn't alone in the apocalypse and he had people to watch his back but sometimes it was too overwhelming. Why did everyone always feel the need to eat every meal together and drag him along? He couldn't stand it.

He was content to just stay in the hallway alone when a soft voice caught his attention. The voice was unlike anything he'd ever heard. It was melodic and haunting, drawing him in with every note. He knew exactly who it belonged to.

Daryl slowly made his way to the door that was cracked open. He didn't want to make any noise that would alert her to his presence and make her stop singing.

 _Wherever you're going I'm going your way_

 _Two drifters off to see the world_

 _There's such a lot of world to see_

He peered into the room, feeling like an intruder as he watched Rhiannon softly sing to her sister. He recognized the tune, it was an old classic, one he couldn't name. But it was beautiful.

Daryl inwardly cursed, did he really need another reason to be attracted to her?

Rhiannon was unaware of Daryl listening to her sing. If she knew he was there she would've stopped right away. She finished the song and smiled when she noticed Beth fast asleep. She finally felt like she had done something for her in helping her relax enough to close her eyes.

The two sisters had always had a pact, no matter how far away Rhiannon was and no matter the amount of time that had passed since they last talked, they always sang to each other when the other was sick.

It had been Beth's favourite song ever since she watched Breakfast at Tiffany's and saw Audrey Hepburn sing on her windowsill with her guitar. _I wanna be like her,_ Beth had told her.

Rhiannon couldn't help the grin that came to her cheeks as she thought about Beth and how much of a dreamer she was. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before slowly crawling out of her bed.

There were footsteps in the hallway making Rhiannon tense. She quickly opened the door and noticed Daryl stare at her wide eyed like a kid caught stealing candy.

"What are you doing?" She snapped, sounding harsher than she intended.

"I-uhm-I was just goin' to the bathroom…" He stammered, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, didn't mean to look like a creep." He mumbled, refusing to look her in the eye.

Rhiannon just stared back at him, keeping her face expressionless. "Is there something you need?"

Daryl shook his head shyly. She nodded and turned on her heel, walking away from him. "Wait!" He called out to her, stopping her before she could leave the solitude of the hallway. She turned back to face him but kept her eyes down. "I-I'm sorry...for yesterday...for what I said."

"Daryl, can we not do this right now?" Rhiannon said sharply, rubbing at her temples. This was the last thing she wanted to do. But he wasn't backing down, he needed to get it off his chest.

"Look, I messed up, ok? Feel like shit for what I said to you. Didn't mean it." Daryl didn't even recognize himself in this moment. He didn't think he'd ever been so sincere his whole life, he didn't think he'd ever even _apologized_ his whole life. He took a step towards her, his hands reaching out for her but she backed away making his shoulders deflate.

"Daryl stop." She whispered harshly, briefly turning around to make sure no one was around to hear them. "I get it, ok? I pushed too hard and it freaked you out and you got upset. You say shit you don't mean when you get upset, I get it. But I can't keep being your punching bag."

He nodded slowly, looking down at his feet as he bit the inside of his cheek, a habit he had when he was nervous. "So what? Just ignore what happened?" He said tersely, trying to not let his frustration get the better of him, that's what got him in this mess in the first place.

Rhiannon sighed, feeling a lump in her throat. "I think you've made your feelings for me perfectly clear."

Daryl finally lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers for the first time. "I haven't."

Rhiannon felt like she had just been punched in the stomach with the way the breath was knocked out of her. She leaned against the wall, and looked up at him which was a mistake because the sight of his soft blue eyes almost broke her. She wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him until they ran out of breath.

The sound of everyone just in the next room broke her out of her thoughts and the bad decisions she wanted to make. "We should go, they'll start to wonder where we are." She mumbled and before he could say anything, she was walking away.

She wore a fake smile as she entered the room only for it to fall immediately when she noticed the two empty spots at the table for her and Daryl were right next to each other. _The universe is a bitch,_ she sneered in her mind. She sat down, Daryl trailing a few seconds behind her. She looked up and noticed Carol smirking triumphantly at the sight of the two of them together. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes, _ok maybe Carol is the bitch._

She tried to ignore the hopeful look on Carol's face and the tense Daryl beside her. She couldn't give into him, not yet at least. They way she'd been treated before had scared her, she didn't want to fall into the same trap that had caused the scars on her back.

She knew Daryl would never hurt her like her ex had but she was too proud to let him back in so easily after what he'd done.

* * *

The only sound to be heard was the crickets chirping in moonlight. Everyone had been asleep for hours and Shane was the only one awake.

He was supposed to be concentrating on keeping watch but his mind was a million miles away. Or, more accurately, his mind was on the young blonde sleeping just a few hundred yards away.

He was pissed at her. She hadn't outed him about Otis but she was certainly doing a good job of turning everyone against him. Her story about the men she'd encountered on the road, the ones that killed innocent families made _him_ look like the bad guy, just because he had more sense of reality than she did, the bleeding heart.

The rest of the group looked at him like he was the enemy and it was because of _her._

He needed to do something about her once and for all, let her know he didn't make idle threats.

She needed to learn who was in charge.

* * *

 **Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's been a month!**

 **I have no idea why but I had such a hard time with this chapter. I went back and watched the whole season over again to get my motivation back (staring at Daryl will definitely do that).**

 **And the playlist is still in motion so give me ideas so it's not just my depressing indie music and Fleetwood Mac**

 **The song Rhiannon was singing to Beth was Moon River as sung by the lovely Audrey Hepburn - might end up on the playlist (;**

 **As always a big thank you for reading and reviewing xx**


	17. Chapter 17

Rhiannon was making a fresh pot of coffee when Maggie stepped into the room quietly. She looked embarrassed almost by the way she hovered in the doorway, hesitant to actually come in.

"Hi." Maggie said quietly, fiddling with her fingers.

"Hey." Rhiannon responded without taking her eyes off of what she was doing. She was more than a little annoyed with her sister at the moment. She had been rude the day before, had yelled at her for sticking up for their Father, even though Maggie was the one who so desperately wanted the two of them to make up.

She put her breakfast plate in the sink and began to wash it, still ignoring Maggie's gaze on her.

Her sister sighed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You aren't even gonna look at me?"

Rhiannon turned, finally making eye contact with her. "I don't know what you want." She shrugged and turned back around.

"I'm sorry. I was being a bitch last night, you didn't deserve that." Maggie said sadly, taking a few steps closer to her. "So, you and Dad made up?" She prodded, hoping small talk would loosen her up.

Rhiannon tensed and turned to face Maggie again. "Yeah, and you're pissed about it."

"I'm not pissed about _that._ I'm pissed that he left when we needed him." Maggie replied sternly.

"It's not like he knew what happened to Beth before he left."

Maggie scoffed. "I don't get this. You guys just made amends but you're acting like the golden child. Why are you taking his side? I expected you of all people to be pissed about this."

"He was upset!" Rhiannon yelled, her patience wearing thin. "He doesn't handle grief well. You saw what he was like after mom died. Fuck, I got sent to boarding school cause he couldn't handle me alone."

Maggie gave her an 'are you kidding me' look. "You got sent to boarding school cause you were a little shit head." There was no malice in her voice, she wasn't trying to start a fight, she was just simply stating a fact and Rhiannon didn't take it any other way or get offended.

"Well, yeah, there's that." She shrugged nonchalantly causing Maggie to snort in laughter. Soon enough both sister were giggling.

Maggie frowned suddenly, feeling guilty. "I really am sorry about last night. I was just stressed, worried about Beth, worried about the both of you bein' out there."

Rhiannon nodded, placing a hand over hers. "I know, it's fine. I was angry too. And i'm sure things with Glenn weren't helping the situation either."

Maggie groaned, putting a hand over her face. "He told you?"

"Oh yeah. He was a stuttering mess in the car." She smirked lightly, she was just thankful she wasn't the only one dealing with stupid boys and their inability to emote. "Has he said it back yet?"

Maggie shook her head, a somber aura over taking her. Rhiannon sighed, "What a dumbass." Maggie laughed lightly and nodded in agreement.

"What about you and Daryl?"

Rhiannon kept her head down, though her mind was running wild with the shock of Maggie's words. She tried to keep her expression neutral as to not give anything away. She had changed somewhat, had began to be more open and loving with her family but _that_ situation was the last thing she wanted to tell them about. Baby steps.

"What about me and Daryl?" She asked slowly.

"You guys used to talk a lot but you hardly even looked at each other at dinner last night. He do something to you?" Maggie was now in her protective sister mode.

"We joke around sometimes, but it's not like he's the easiest person to get along with." She said casually, hoping it was enough of an answer for Maggie not to ask any more questions.

"That's a shame. You guys would make a cute couple."

Rhiannon snapped her head over to look at Maggie with wide eyes. She bit her lip to hide her growing smile. Maggie noticed though and narrowed her eyes playfully. "What?"

Rhiannon shook her head, her eyes falling to her feet as she felt her cheeks grow hot. "Nothing."

* * *

"You think eighteen's enough?" Lori asked, her fingers twirling her hair nervously.

Rick nodded. "He'll be far enough away from us, he won't be finding his way back." He reassured her.

Lori nodded slowly, placing a hand over her stomach protectively. She was more than a little nervous about her husband going out there yet again. She perked up slightly when she noticed a certain blonde making her way towards them. She wished Rhiannon was going out there with them. It would put her at ease, knowing she would be out there to watch Rick's back.

It was unnerving to her that Shane didn't give her that peace of mind.

"Hey! Coffee?" Rhiannon offered, holding the pot up. Rick nodded eagerly, dumping out the gross drink they made on the fire that couldn't even be considered coffee. "Oh, before I forget..." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her ipod that Rick had asked to borrow.

He nodded in thanks. "I'll bring it back safe and sound." He reassured her with an amused smirk. Rick had found it quite funny how protective she was of the little machine.

"You better. If I see one scratch on it, it'll be your ass on the line." She joked making him laugh. "Oh and by the way, I have a playlist of just the Backstreet Boys and N'Sync so if you wanna make him suffer.."

Rick laughed loudly, catching Daryl's attention who sat by the fire, silently eating his breakfast. He glared deeply at the man and watched with disdain as he placed a hand on Rhiannon's shoulder.

Daryl was conflicted as he watched the girl smile brightly. It was a breathtaking sight but he was jealous that he wasn't the one to make her smile. That used to be him, joking around with her - well it was more Rhiannon joking around and teasing him - but he so badly wanted that back. He missed talking to her.

He looked back down at his plate, angrily stabbing at the pieces of fruit. He hated this feeling. He'd never been jealous before, not like this. He always used to look at couples and roll his eyes but for the first time he knew what it was like to be close to someone and then to watch them be happy with someone else felt like a punch to the chest.

He felt a nudge at his foot making him look up. His eyes widened at the sight of Rhiannon standing in front of him, a shy smile on her face.

"Coffee?"

He nodded silently and held out his mug. She kept quiet as she poured, avoiding his eyes that she knew were trained on her. She looked anxious, like she wanted to say something. Daryl looked up at her hopefully but immediately sagged back into his seat as Glenn approached.

"I'll take some of that." Glenn said happily, holding his mug out towards her, stopping her from opening her mouth.

Daryl glared fiercely at the man who was oblivious to what he just interrupted.

"So what are you up to today?" Glenn asked, not noticing the impatient expression on her face or how fidgety she was.

"I'm just going down to the stables to feed the horses." She explained, her eyes momentarily flitting to Daryl who still had his cold gaze locked on Glenn. A small smile graced her lips at how frustrated Daryl was. She couldn't deny it, he looked pretty cute with that glare. "I'll see you later."

Glenn waved to the young girl as she left with a smile on his face that quickly vanished as he turned and noticed Daryl's piercing gaze. He tensed, a shiver of fear running down his spine. He had seen that look on Daryl's face before and he always hoped he'd never be on the receiving end.

Glenn didn't know what he could've done to make him so angry. But he didn't dare question him, he valued his life. He swiftly walked away, not sparing a glance back at the angry man.

* * *

Rhiannon placed her sword on the ground and approached the horses slowly. They were still a little nervous around her since she hadn't seen them in years. She happily stroked their manes, wishing she could take them out for a ride. She knew her dad would kill her if she went out into the woods by herself and she was trying to be a good daughter, so sneaking out without his permission was off the table, no matter how much she wanted to.

But she was content just to pet the beautiful creatures. She began to hum a melody of a song that was stuck in her head as she prepped the food for the horses.

She was in her own little world, totally oblivious to the man that had followed her.

* * *

Daryl watched as the prisoner was hauled into the trunk of the car. He was thankful that he wasn't the leader and no one was questioning him on what was to be done with the kid. He didn't want that responsibility.

He gathered up the arrows he'd been whittling and placed them in his quiver, getting ready to head back to his secluded camp. The only reason he'd been with everyone else was because he figured he'd have an easier time approaching Rhiannon, and he wanted to show her that he was trying, that he wasn't going to seclude himself and be the same old asshole she thought he was.

But she wasn't there and Daryl was really fed up with the knowing looks Carol was sending him. He stood, throwing his crossbow over his shoulder. He only made it a few steps when Rick stopped him.

"You seen Shane anywhere? We're supposed to head out now."

Daryl shrugged, he couldn't care less what that asshole was up to.

"I saw him heading down to the stables a couple of minutes ago." T-Dog responded.

Daryl froze instantly, stopping in his tracks. "The fuck did you say?" He growled at T-Dog who looked confused as to why the man had gone from calm to murderous in barely a second.

"He went to the stables." He said again slowly.

His heart began to beat faster. He worried about Rhiannon when she went off to look for Sophia by herself, he worried about her when she was running towards the barn full of walkers, and he worried about her when she went into town to find her Dad. But the feeling he had at that moment, the dread he felt knowing what could be happening to her right at that second was the most terrifying thing he'd ever felt.

"Son of a bitch." He mumbled before sprinting off towards the stables.

"Daryl?!" Rick yelled behind him, running after him.

Daryl began to run faster as his mind conjured up every horrible thing Shane could be doing to her.

 _I'm coming, just hold on._

* * *

Rhiannon stepped out of the stables and walked around the corner to where the water pump was. She stopped abruptly, almost dropping the bucket when she saw Shane sitting alone, a hard look on his face. He was waiting for her.

She tried to ignore her fear and glared at him. "The hell do you want?" She asked harshly and continued with her chores.

"I thought we talked about this. I told you to keep your mouth shut and I'd keep my hands to myself." Shane began, taking slow steps towards hers. Rhiannon felt her heart beat faster the closer he got. "But you just kept running your mouth, making _me_ look like the bad guy."

Rhiannon backed up, feeling like a gazelle trapped by a lion. But she wasn't going to let him see how scared she was. "You did that all by yourself, Shane. Everything you do, every word you say, it just makes people realize who you really are."

She cursed herself for how weak her voice sounded, how her hands began to tremble.

Shane let out a terrifyingly happy laugh, like she had just told the funniest joke. "You can think what you want." His hands suddenly reached out and grabbed her arms making her gasp. He pushed her against the wooden wall of the stable, smiling as she winced. "I know you told that Redneck our dirty little secret. I see the way he protects you… or the way he _thinks_ he can, cause he ain't here right now." He taunted her, pinning her to the wall with his body.

Rhiannon's breath was ragged, she could feel every part of him against her, she could feel his steady heart beat against her rapid one.

"And I warned you if you told anybody." He whispered in her ear. Rhiannon pushed at him but he didn't budge, he was too strong for her. He just laughed at her futile attempts. "I told you I can take what I want."

Rhiannon whimpered, breathing heavily as his hands began to roam her body. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep calm and not show him how terrified she was. She tried once again to push him off and let out a sob as he pushed her roughly against the wall, his strength easily overpowering hers.

"Hey, hey, come on now. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Shane whispered in her ear, his hands crawling up the bare skin of her torso. "Bet you've had a lot'a guys between those legs, anything I do won't make a difference."

Rhiannon felt her anger swell. Running on pure adrenaline, she head butted him, pushing him back a few steps. Shane cursed loudly, wincing at the pain in his nose that had only just healed from when she punched him after the whole barn incident. He slapped her across the face, a wicked smile growing at the yelp she let out.

He grabbed her arm roughly, whipping her around so her back was against his hard chest. He suddenly pushed her forward, his hand wrapped painfully tight in her hair.

Rhiannon tried hard not to let out a sound of pain as she was pushed against the wood of the stables but her nose had hit the wall hard and she immediately felt blood beginning to trickle down her lips.

She couldn't believe this was happening, she never thought he'd actually go through with his threats. She underestimated him by a long shot.

"You really think this'll change things? You think Rick won't find out about this?" Rhiannon hissed through gritted teeth, trying to hold onto the smallest ounce of courage she had left.

Shane pulled her by her hair, yanking her head back roughly. "I'll slit your throat before you can open your mouth, sweetheart."

His hands went down her front, stopping at the button of her jeans. She began to struggle in his arms again as he pulled her zipper down.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck. This isn't happening._

Shane lifted her shirt, exposing her back, making him pause in his movements. She tensed, knowing exactly what he was seeing.

Shane let out another laugh, causing goosebumps to form on her exposed skin. "Guess I'm not the first guy to teach you a lesson."

Rhiannon let out a helpless sob, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the blood that stained her skin. She was spun around again, now facing him. The sight of soulless eyes made a shiver run down her spine.

"I wanna see your face. I wanna see the moment when you regret ever crossing me." He taunted her, his hands now groping her chest.

It was like a switch had been flipped. Every ounce of fear she had turned to anger. She thought of her ex, the one who tried to ruin her forever, much like Shane was trying to do. If she could deal with him, she could deal with Shane. Rhiannon smirked wickedly. "You'll never see that."

Shane grit his teeth and pulled on her hair again, exposing her neck. He began to kiss the skin, biting roughly, making her wince. She breathed heavily, hoping her next move wouldn't end in her death. She quickly snapped her knee upwards, hitting him right between the legs.

She had dealt with handsy men at bars who didn't understand the meaning of the word 'no' before and over the years she had perfected that damaging move. It looked like she still had it, judging by how fast Shane crumpled to his knees.

The sight of him holding his crotch, his face turning red as he groaned in pain was more satisfying than any walker kill she'd ever made, even ones that had saved her life. And Rhiannon refused to stop there.

She kicked at his chest, making him let out a wheezing cough as he fell onto his back. She stepped towards him, raising her leg so she could reach the knife that was hidden in her boot. Shane noticed what she was trying to do and moved through the pain. He grabbed her legs, throwing her down onto the ground next to him.

He quickly moved to straddle her, his hands finding their place around her neck. He had barely begun to put pressure on her when he was roughly dragged off of her.

Rhiannon watched with wide eyes as Daryl straddled Shane, much like position he just had her in, and began to beat him senselessly. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Daryl showed him no mercy.

Rick and T-Dog suddenly ran forward, just arriving at the scene. Rick was frozen in place, shocked at what he was seeing.

T-Dog noticed her on the ground and rushed to help her up. He cursed under his breath, his eyes moving back and forth between her and Shane.

Rick rushed over to Daryl, pulling him off of his partner. The Redneck shouted curses as he was roughly thrown back a few steps. Rick made sure to keep a hand on chest to keep him from lunging at Shane again.

"What the fuck is going on?" Rick demanded harshly. He looked over to Rhiannon and his eyes widened at her appearance. She had blood running down her chin, her hair was disheveled and she looked absolutely traumatised.

"The fuck did you do to her?!" Daryl yelled, trying to break free from Rick's grip. He wanted to kill Shane.

Rhiannon was trembling and T-Dog tightened his grip on her shoulders.

"Shane?" Rick demanded an answer, giving his friend a warning look.

Shane spat the blood out of mouth, shaking his head. "That bitch is crazy. She was coming onto me and then just went psycho on me."

"Are you serious?" Rhiannon yelled, now having to be held back by T-Dog as she tried to run at Shane. "You really think they're gonna believe you after what you did? After you murdered Otis! After you threatened to rape me!"

Daryl immediately stepped towards her when he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. He gave T-Dog a hard look making him step away from Rhiannon. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he watched Daryl place an arm around her, shielding her from Shane's eyes.

Rick turned to Shane, an incredulous look on his face. Shane's expression darkened. "You really gonna believe that? Rick, you know me, you know I'd never do that."

Rick stayed silent, his eyes moving to the ground. He didn't know what to believe. He obviously didn't think his friend was capable of what he was being accused of but he had come to trust Rhiannon, he didn't know why she would make something like that up.

Rhiannon felt her anger grow the longer Rick stayed silent. She sighed and pushed Daryl's hand away that had immediately reached out to her as she began to walk away.

"Rhiannon." Rick called out to her, his shoulders sagging as he watched her walk away with her head bowed.

She ignored him and kept walking, only stopping to pick up the sword she had put down. She placed the strap over her shoulder and walked into the woods.

Daryl was breathing heavily, still feeling the rage coursing through his veins. He couldn't let her go out there alone, she was distraught and angry, that was never a good combination.

"You come near her again and I'll put an arrow in your eye." He growled, glaring deeply at Shane as he passed before making his way through the trees to follow her.

Rick sighed and put his hands on his hips. T-Dog sensed the two needed to talk and he didn't want to get involved in this. He gave Shane an inquisitive look, like he knew his story was bullshit. After seeing Rhiannon bleeding on the ground, looking terrified, he had little hope that what Shane was saying was the truth. He quickly made his exit, shaking his head sadly.

"You wanna tell me what the fuck just happened?" Rick spat harshly.

Shane shrugged. "I told you, she was flirting with me, giving me eyes and the second I make a move she goes off on me. She's unstable."

Rick ran a hand through his hair. "Why is she bleeding?" He spoke viciously, feeling his anger rise at the memory of her wounded face.

"She started attacking me, I had to defend myself."

" _You_ had to defend yourself against a girl barely over five feet tall?"

"You've seen her fight, you know she packs a punch." Shane responded casually. Rick shifted on his feet, his hands clenching into fists. "We should go, we're gonna lose the daylight if we wait any longer." Shane said and began to walk back to camp, leaving Rick to stare at him in disbelief.

 _Was he trying to sweep this under the rug?_ Rick eyed him for a few seconds before following slowly. He turned his head to look back at the trees where Rhiannon had disappeared into. He pinched the bridge of his nose, he didn't know what the fuck to think.

* * *

Rhiannon panted as she ran, her sword held tightly in her hands. She knew she wasn't thinking clearly, she knew what she was doing was dangerous and she didn't care. Moans of the dead had caught her attention and instead of quietly walking away from where they were headed she decided to run towards them.

She stumbled to a stop and there were now seven walkers in front of her. She didn't feel any fear or any regret. The walker closest to her let out a loud groan, their rotten arms reaching out to grab her.

Rhiannon gripped her weapons with both hands and swung with all her might. Before the dismembered head even landed on the ground she was onto the next one. She swung over her head, twirling on her heels and slamming her sword as she went, grunts of exertion leaving her mouth with each kill she made.

Within only a matter of seconds, all seven walkers lay completely dead on the ground. She panted heavily and flicked the blood and chunks of brain off her sword.

She suddenly tensed, her grip on her sword tightening as she heard loud, rushed footsteps coming closer.

Daryl appeared through the thicket of trees, his chest heaving and his crossbow raised. His eyes immediately went to the dead walkers on the ground making him lower his bow.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked. She was more than a little surprised to see that he had followed her, especially because Rick and T-Dog would've seen him go after her.

"Makin' sure you didn't do somethin' stupid." He responded, his eyes still trained on the walkers that lay around her. "Guess I was a lil' late."

"I handled it, didn't I?"

Daryl looked up at her and grit his teeth. Her disheveled appearance made his anger grow. He wanted to run back to the farm and beat Shane until he was assured he wouldn't get back up. He moved towards her slowly, making sure he didn't startle her. He wasn't sure how to act around people who had gone through what had just happened.

He was thankful she didn't push him away or react badly in any way when he stood in front of her.

"You're still bleeding." He reminded her, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his red bandana. He hesitated, not knowing if he should do it himself or give it to her. He looked up at her nervously, biting on his bottom lip.

Rhiannon wasn't looking at him though, she stared off into the trees, an unreadable expression on her face. Daryl couldn't tell if it was sadness or anger.

He slowly reached out and moved her chin towards him with his two fingers. Her brown eyes met his making him freeze. It was like she was staring into his soul. He felt like his heart would beat out his chest. He swallowed thickly and began to wipe away the blood from her tanned skin.

"What did he do to you?" His voice was barely above a whisper. His mind yelled at him to shut up and not bring it up in fear of upsetting her, another part of him dreaded knowing how Shane had hurt her.

Rhiannon's face twisted in agony as she thought to what had almost happened, what he had threatened to do to her. Tears filled her eyes making her look down at her feet so Daryl wouldn't see though she was sure he did, nothing got by him.

"He tried to...but he didn't. You stopped him."

Daryl felt a tightness in his chest, it felt like he was about to suffocate. He had never heard her so weak, so fragile and scared before. "I told you I ain't gonna let that happen to you." He practically growled, his anger returning at the thought of Shane touching her.

Rhiannon sighed and took a step back so they weren't standing so close together anymore. "Don't say shit like that." She mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. The gesture made her look like a fragile little girl, not at all fitting for who she really was.

"Why not?"

"Cause...it scares me, makes me upset."

Daryl narrowed his eyes. He had never been so confused. He just promised to protect her, why the hell would that scare her?

The puzzled look on his face made her want to laugh but it was impossible at this moment, happiness seemed impossible for her at that moment.

" _You_ scare me." She admitted quietly.

" _I_ scare _you_?" Daryl asked in disbelief, his voice rising. From the start he had been terrified of Rhiannon and the things she made him feel, how at ease he was with her, it was all so out of his comfort zone. He couldn't believe that she could be scared of him.

"I was always so confident with men. If I liked them then I went for it, if I didn't, I knew how to tell them to fuck off. I knew how to get what I wanted from them."

Daryl winced at her words, feeling his jealousy rise. He didn't want to think about her with other men. But he was still very confused. "Why the hell would I scare you?"

Rhiannon hesitated, taking in a deep breath. "Because that moment you pushed me away... I've never felt more insecure in my entire life." She spoke weakly, more tears threatening to fall.

Daryl felt like he had just been punched in the chest. He knew the words he had said that day had been hurtful, he had no idea just how much they affected her. He knew his words didn't hold any truth, he never realized that Rhiannon hadn't thought the same way.

"Fuck." He mumbled, running his hands through his hair. He thought of leaving, of just letting her have her space, leaving whatever connection he thought they had behind, but he had played that card too many times. He was sick of letting his insecurity get in his way, of letting what his father had always told him he was be true.

He stepped towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, making her look at him. "I know imma dick, you've told me that enough times. You know I'm an immature asshole who doesn't deserve you and I don't care that you want nothing to do with me, I'm not gonna stop protecting you. From Shane or anythin' else that tries to hurt you, I'm not gonna let it."

Rhiannon was stunned. She was sure if Daryl were to let go of her that second, she'd fall to the ground. She had never heard Daryl speak so passionately, but that wasn't what had caught her attention.

"You think you don't deserve me?"

Daryl felt his grip on her loosening. His hands slowly trailed down her arms until they dropped to his side. He could feel Rhiannon's gaze on him, waiting for an answer. He just shrugged, averting his eyes from her.

"You never would'a looked twice at me if the world didn't end." He mumbled, biting at his thumb nervously. "Never would'a met anyways. You were in New York, you were doing shit. I was just following my brother 'round, never even left Georgia."

Rhiannon wanted to smile. Finally, he had told her something personal. She had imagined this moment differently, she hoped it would've happened when they were actually friends and weren't surrounded by dead walkers and she hadn't just been assaulted.

"You really think I give a shit about what you were doing before all this? Daryl, you've become one of the best people I've ever known. I've told you things my family doesn't even know, things friends I've had for years don't know." She tried to reason with him, make him see how much he meant to her but he still refused to look at her.

She sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. "You never once judged me for any of the bad shit I've done. You make me laugh in this horrible world. You make me forget about it all. When we're together and we're talking, I forget that it's the fucking apocalypse."

Daryl shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't believe it. She was the epitome of everything good in the world, what every man wanted in a woman, he couldn't believe that _he_ had made such an impact on her life. He was no one special.

Rhiannon grit her teeth, seeing his response, knowing he didn't believe her. She walked towards him. "Daryl," She pleaded.

"I hurt you!" He yelled back at her.

"Yeah, you did. You said a lot of shitty things and I know you know they aren't true. Jesus, Daryl, how many times have I hurt my family?"

"That's different."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, she wasn't getting anywhere with him. "Can't believe I fell for someone so stubborn." She mumbled.

Daryl raised his eyebrow at her. "You callin' _me_ stubborn?" He gave her a look as if to say 'are you serious?'

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him before a smile broke out on her face, a small laugh escaping. Daryl smirked lightly despite the rollercoaster that was happening in his mind. She had just admitted she had fallen for him, he felt like the happiest fucker alive but then reality came crashing down and those damn voices got back in his head, pushing his feelings back down.

"We should head back."

Rhiannon shook her head. "I don't wanna go back."

"He won't be there, he left with Rick." Daryl assured her. And even if Shane was wandering around camp, he wasn't gonna let her out of his sight for a second.

"I know, I'm just not ready to go back."

"You wanna come hunting with me?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, c'mon." He nodded with his head, motioning to the direction they were going. Rhiannon put her sword back in its sheath over her shoulder and caught up to him.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence despite what had just been revealed in the last couple of minutes. It was overwhelming for Daryl to think about the life he could have with her, how happy he'd be.

 _She could do better._ His thoughts wouldn't shut up.

So he was content to spend time with her and be her friend. Just being with her was all he needed.

* * *

 **So Daryl needs to get his head outta his ass…**

 **But don't worry, things will resolve soon and fluff is to be expected (and smut….) you just have to hold on a little longer!**

 **Thanks for reading! xx**


	18. Chapter 18

No words were spoken between the pair but it was still comforting, not at all awkward. Rhiannon sat in the grass, smoking a cigarette as Daryl skinned the squirrels he had caught. She watched as the muscles in his arm flexed with each movement of his knife. She willed herself not to blush as the butterflies in her stomach intensified.

Daryl looked up at her, catching her staring at him but she didn't avert her gaze. She smirked as the redness in his cheeks grew.

Rhiannon felt guilty for all the bad things she'd thought about him over the past couple of days. He hurt her and she was pissed at him for it. But once she realized how insecure he was, how utterly inexperienced he was with showing his feelings and allowing himself to be happy, she felt like the biggest asshole on the planet.

Her telling him off only fueled his feelings of being worthless, of not deserving her and she hated herself for contributing to his insecurities.

She had only met Merle briefly but she was guessing he wasn't the most supportive and loving brother in the world. She could only imagine what else he had been through that made him so sheltered and self conscious.

Rhiannon continued to admire him, a small smile on his face. Like after her first encounter with Shane, Daryl was there to ease her mind, to heal the wounds that could have scarred her forever had he not been there.

She couldn't believe Daryl couldn't see all the amazing things he'd done for her. No man had ever cared for her so much, no one had ever done so much for her and yet expected nothing in return.

He really was special, unlike anyone she had ever met before.

She stubbed the cigarette out in the dirt, blowing the last of the smoke from her mouth. "If you could go back in time and live in a different era, where would you go?" She asked wistfully.

"The hell kinda question is that?" Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes at her half heartedly with a small smirk playing at his lips.

"A stupid one, but I'm curious."

Daryl shrugged, continuing to skin his kills. "I dunno, sixties maybe?"

"Yeah? Because of the music?"

Daryl just shrugged again. "I guess."

Rhiannon nodded thoughtfully and tipped her head back to look at the orange sky and setting sun.

"What about you?"

She brought her gaze to him, a small smile on her face. He was looking at her, waiting for her answer. Rhiannon was pleasantly surprised, every time she had bombarded him with questions, trying to get to know him, he was so shy he never once asked her anything.

"I'd go to the forties. The music, the fashion, I love all of it." She responded with a dreamy smile on her face.

Daryl gave her an incredulous look with a small smirk playing on his lips. "You wanna live through the war?"

Rhiannon paused, giving him an annoyed glance. " _Late_ forties." She clarified dramatically, letting out a small laugh which made Daryl's lip quirk upwards at the sound.

"We did pretty good today." She smiled, looking at the rabbits and squirrels that lay on the ground, waiting to be skinned. It was so strange that something like that made her feel satisfied, but times had definitely changed and she wasn't going to say no to food, no matter what it was.

Daryl scoffed playfully. " _We?_ "

"Hey, you knew I had no experience hunting before you invited me. You don't get to be pissed that I did zero work."

Daryl looked up at her, their eyes meeting. Both of them refused to be the first to look away. The spark between them was electric, casting an air of intensity around them.

The playful look she gave him slowly morphed into something a lot less innocent.

Her teasing had been riling him up from day one, he was slowly going out of his mind. The sexual tension between them was something he'd never felt before. The way she looked at him with her big brown eyes, biting her lip playfully as she smiled made his stomach flip. He had never seen something so seductive, and she wasn't even trying.

 _Just make your fucking move, you pussy,_ Merle's voice rang in his head.

Daryl swallowed hard, finally tearing his eyes from her. He couldn't make a move, not after what had happened earlier. He would never push her, especially not after that psychotic pervert had terrified her.

He cleared his throat, shaking his head from the lust that had clouded his mind. He focused back on their dinner that needed to be skinned, oblivious to the disappointment on Rhiannon's face as she once again felt rejected by him.

Even though Shane had violated her that same day, she knew she'd say yes to whatever the hell Daryl had been thinking. It was those damn blue eyes that pulled her in, the hardened eyes that still had a softness to them despite how much he would deny it.

Daryl suddenly tensed, the grip on his knife tightening as he heard footsteps approaching. He stood, taking large steps to stand in front of Rhiannon, blocking her from the view of whoever was approaching. He wouldn't put it past Shane to seek her out and finish what he started.

Rick approached them slowly, a weak smile on his face. He tried to meet Rhiannon's eyes, to see how she was doing, but Daryl had made that impossible with the way his body shielded hers protectively.

"The hell do you want?" Daryl growled, still feeling pissed at their supposed leader doing jack shit about his own partner trying to rape a woman. The fact that it had been _her_ just made him more pissed beyond belief.

Rick stood with his hands in his pockets sheepishly, his mind still utterly confused about what had happened that morning. "We brought Randall back, we're gonna figure out another plan. Would you mind talking to him tomorrow? Try to get some answers outta him?"

Daryl crossed his arms over his chest. "You got a lotta nerve askin' me for help after what you-"

"Daryl!" Rhiannon exclaimed in annoyance, stepping away from him so he wasn't guarding her and Rick could finally see her. "Yes, he'll do it." She answered for him.

Daryl grit his teeth and clenched his fists, rolling his eyes at her willingness to help despite Rick's blind faith in a man that assaulted her. He couldn't understand how she could even look at the man, _he_ certainly had trouble keeping his anger for him at bay. He gave her a glare that let her know every ounce of his anger.

Rhiannon sighed. "The faster we get answers from him, the faster we can deal with him and forget this ever happened."

Rick nodded in thanks, eyeing her wearily.

"Did Randall do that to you?" She asked, her eyes roaming over the cuts and bruises on his face that he didn't leave with that morning.

Rick shook his head, his eyes darting to the ground. Rhiannon knew what that meant. Shane. She nodded and felt the overwhelming urge to run away. She had seen on his face earlier that he didn't believe her and to see that coming from the man that she had thought to have been so genuine and so _good,_ hurt more than she expected.

She had really began to see Rick as a friend, a confidant in shitty times, but like all things in her life, Shane was there to put out the fire and ruin her happiness.

"Shane admitted to killing Otis." Rick blurted out, catching both Rhiannon and Daryl by surprise. They expected the deranged man to just keep lying his way out of things like he'd always done.

"He admit to anything else?" Rhiannon spoke coldly.

Rick sighed, running a hand over his tired features. "It's still he said, she said. I'm not sure what really happened, but I'm gonna talk to him again, try to figure out-"

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me." Daryl spat. "I heard everything! He's been holdin' Otis over her head since day fucking one, threatened to rape her if she told anyone, I heard it. That slimy bastard's been plannin' this, waitin' to get her alone."

Rhiannon put her hand on Daryl's chest as he stepped forward. She didn't want another fight to break out. Daryl seemed to calm down at her touch, but only slightly. He still glared at Rick with narrowed eyes and his jaw clenched tightly.

Rick seemed taken aback, a look of disappointment on his face. "You heard him threaten her before?" He questioned, feeling like he was a police officer again.

Daryl looked down at Rhiannon, his body unclenching as soon as her brown eyes locked on his. He nodded slowly.

"That's why you ran down there so fast, you knew what Shane was gonna do?"

Daryl nodded again and had to avert his eyes from Rhiannon's questioning gaze. She had no idea that's why they were all there, she had figured they were just looking for Shane and had stumbled onto the situation. She had no idea that Daryl had literally sprinted to get to her, to save her.

Rick bit his lip, his mind running rampant. He was still so conflicted. Shane had told him Rhiannon was unstable, that she had baited him to make him look like the bad guy. But now he had two people saying his story was bullshit. But this was Shane, his brother, his partner. He couldn't believe what she was accusing him of, or was it that he didn't _want_ to believe it? He couldn't distinguish the two feelings.

Rhiannon noticed his expression and felt tears sting her eyes. She felt helpless, like she could scream from the rooftop and no one would hear her. "Rick, I know you don't believe me. But you still have a sliver of doubt, don't you? That what I'm saying is true."

Rick looked down at his shoes, refusing to make eye contact.

"Shouldn't that one ounce of doubt be enough for you to do something about it?"

Daryl scoffed as Rick remained silent. Rhiannon gave him a look, telling him not to start anything.

"I think it would be best if you two stay separated for awhile." Rick finally spoke up though his eyes refused to meet hers, like he was guilty of something.

Rhiannon nodded, almost sarcastically. _You're not the first one to come up with that bright idea, Officer._

He gave her a final, calculating look, like he was desperately trying to find the truth in her gaze, before he turned and began the long trek back to camp.

She watched Rick go with a heavy heart. She had seen the anguish on his face, this couldn't have been easy for him. Shane was his best friend, Rhiannon couldn't imagine how much this was hurting him.

She obviously didn't expect Rick to kick him out, no matter how much she loved dreaming of that moment. She just wanted him to admit that what Shane did was wrong, she wanted him to see how he had changed and not just for her. She worried about him, how he was in the dark about what Shane was capable of, she didn't want that to come back and hurt Rick.

Rhiannon turned and looked back at Daryl, now more timid than before. "I should probably get back to the house, see how Beth's doing."

Daryl nodded slowly, disappointment etched on his face. He loved spending time with her. Despite what had happened that morning, they had a good time together, they always did. She made him laugh and he made her forget about every bad thing that had happened.

"I'll walk you back." He mumbled, grabbing his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder. There was no way he was letting her walk around alone with Shane back at camp.

Rhiannon tried to hide her blush as the pair began to walk back to the farm house, their arms brushing against each other every couple of seconds.

"You know, you've punched Shane twice for me."

"That a bad thing?"

Rhiannon shook her head. "Just never had someone look out for me the way you do."

Daryl found that hard to believe. His eyes moved over to her to see her staring straight ahead. He ignored the way his stomach had flipped at her words and looked down at his feet, cursing himself for the heat he felt on his cheeks.

They walked in a comfortable silence the rest of the way. Rhiannon sent a small wave to Carl who smiled widely and eagerly waved back. He looked like he wanted to run over and talk to her but Rick had his hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. His face was still shrouded in guilt and confusion as he looked at her.

Daryl noticed and grit his teeth, taking a large step so his body was shielding hers from his gaze.

He was pissed at the leader. It was his job to make the tough decisions, that's why he was their leader. He couldn't believe that anyone could believe Shane's bullshit story over Rhiannon's. He had seen her bloody nose, he had seen how hysterical she had been, what more proof did he need?

The memory of finding her under him, his hands around her neck, made him see red. His fists clenched rightly, the plastic of his crossbow groaning slightly under the pressure. It was terrifying to Daryl that her safety had relied on _him_ in that moment. But in a way, there was a sense of pride that he couldn't ignore.

There was a satisfaction he'd never felt before, like he had finally done something right in his sorry life.

He looked down at the woman beside him and sighed deeply, knowing he'd save her a thousand times over.

They soon reached the farmhouse and a sense of dread washed over both of them knowing the safe haven they had created just the two of them that day was over and they had to go back to reality and face all the shit they had coming their way.

Rhiannon turned to face him, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It felt like the end of a first date, like it was the dreaded moment where she didn't know if he was going to kiss her or not. She inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought, Daryl was _not_ going to kiss her and no matter how upsetting it was, she had to face the reality that he wasn't that kind of person and she wouldn't push him, not after what happened last time.

"Thanks again for everything you did today." She told him quietly.

Daryl shrugged, biting the corner of his thumb as he looked down at his feet. "'S nothing."

"No, it wasn't nothing. You saved me from…" Rhiannon shook her head, swallowing thickly as the reality of what Shane could have done crashed onto her. It seemed like she would forget and every couple of minutes she would remember and her stomach would drop every time. "And spending the day with me, taking my mind off it, it means a lot."

"You'd'a done the same for me."

Rhiannon let out a small laugh. "Like you'd let me." Everytime Daryl had been frustrated or upset he pushed her away, yelled at her and said hurtful things to make her go away. But that wasn't enough to scare her away.

Daryl bit his lip and nodded, thinking back to what he had said to her when they first met and was looking for Sophia. He couldn't stop the guilt that ran through him. He was a dick, he didn't understand why she stayed, why she cared. He was just thankful she did, no matter the reason.

Rhiannon couldn't help the smile that grew at the sight of the rough redneck acting so shy. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Daryl nodded again, biting at his lip nervously. Before he could say anything, Rhiannon had wrapped her arms around him, making his body stiff as stone. Nothing could have ever prepared him for how good it felt to have her wrapped around him, to have her body against his.

He swallowed thickly, slowly moving his arms around her back. His breathing quickened and he tried desperately to hide how utterly whipped he was. He was completely at her mercy, willing to do anything if she told him to. He had no idea how it happened, but Rhiannon had managed to break the thick layer of stone surrounding his heart.

She slowly pulled away, looking up at him with a smile. "Thanks again for today. You really helped."

Daryl had no words. No one had ever thanked him before, especially not for giving emotional support. He felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

He reluctantly moves his arms, allowing her to pull away from him. He immediately missed her warmth against him the second she was gone. "I'll see you later." He said gruffly, giving her one last look as she slowly stepped away from him and into the house, almost like she didn't want to leave him at all, and she didn't.

Rhiannon had a goofy smile on her face. She was just so happy he wasn't trying to push her away any more. She could tell he was uncomfortable and scared by what was happening between them and for that, she wasn't going to make a move. She didn't know what would happen if she unexpectedly kissed him again and she wasn't eager to find out.

She couldn't believe how much she enjoyed just being with him, talking to him, and even when they weren't talking it was better than most of the friendships she'd had all her life. But she couldn't stay with him forever, and as soon as she closed the door behind her, every ounce of fear and anger she had from that morning hit her full force.

She ignored the stinging in her eyes, she blinked back her tears as images of Shane on top of her, his hands holding her tightly, refusing to let her go, flashed in her mind. She was tempted to run back outside and latch onto Daryl again.

"Where the hell have you been?" Maggie yelled at her making her jump. Rhiannon frowned deeply at her sister, her eyes were puffy and red and her hair was a mess, like she'd been running her hands through it constantly.

Rhiannon sighed inwardly, pushing Shane to the back of her mind. It probably wasn't healthy to keep repressing it, it would be better for her to face it head on, have a good cry, maybe confide in her family about it, but she'd never been very smart about her own well being so she pushed thoughts of Shane from her head and faced her little sister who looked ready to burst into tears.

"What happened?"

Maggie let out a shaking breath, suddenly feeling bad for yelling at her when she heard the worry in Rhiannon's voice. "Beth." She choked out, feeling her hands beginning to shake. She was still trying to process what her baby sister had tried to do just hours ago.

Rhiannon felt her heart drop to her stomach. "What?" She asked, her voice no more than a whisper. Maggie looked down at her feet. Screw Shane, _this_ was the most terrifying part of the day. "Maggie!" She yelled, feeling her patience wearing thin.

"Daddy's with her right now, she's fine." Maggie reassured her, wanted to calm her down before she went off the deep end. "She wanted to kill herself...she cut her wrists."

Rhiannon couldn't even comprehend what was happening in her mind. She remembered the only other time her chest had felt so constricted, her mind so blank, was when her mother had died, when she watched her take that last breath in her hospital bed.

But Beth, her vibrant baby sister, the girl who called her every year to sing happy birthday over the phone, the girl who cried when she told her she was moving to Paris for a year, the girl who always tried so hard to bring her back to the family, that special little girl had given up.

"Where were you?" Maggie asked her, now more calm than before.

"I was out...with Daryl." She responded weakly after a moment of silence where she contemplated letting the flood gates lose and spilling everything that Shane had done. But Maggie already looked ready to collapse into tears, Rhiannon didn't want to add to that, so she kept quiet.

"You were with Daryl? All day?" Maggie asked harshly, crossing her arms over her chest. She shook her head, her jaw clenching. "I thought you said you were changing, that you were actually gonna try and be part of this family."

"You really think I'd be out there if I knew what was going on!? Jesus Maggie, I didn't know! Don't try and blame me for what Beth did, that was her choice. Nothing I did could've changed her mind."

Maggie stood her ground, keeping her hardened gaze on her sister. Rhiannon rolled her eyes and stormed past her. She couldn't deal with her attitude, not today. She wished she had stayed with Daryl, it seems like everything goes to shit the second they're apart.

Rhiannon could hear her father talking quietly as she approached Beth's room. She stayed in the doorway, feeling her relief wash over her as she watched her father make Beth smile. Even the sight of the gauze wrapped around her wrists weren't enough to take away from her bright smile.

"Hey." She said quietly, gaining both of their attention.

Beth sunk back into her bed, a frown marring her features. "Hi." She responded weakly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with guilt. It was one thing to face her father after it, but facing Rhiannon, the strongest person she ever met, Beth felt like she'd failed her.

"I'll give you two some time." Hershel said, reaching over to place a kiss on Beth's forehead before he left.

"No, it's ok, you can stay. Haven't all been together in a while." Rhiannon said with a small smile, sitting on the edge of the bed. She grabbed Beth's hand, squeezing tightly. "I know this is gonna sound really hypocritical but you know you can talk to me, about anything."

Beth shrugged, her eyes were locked on the bed sheets, refusing to meet her sister's. "I didn't wanna bother you with my problems."

Rhiannon sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Beth, you are the most important person in all our lives. None of us would ever be the same if you weren't here."

Beth's face suddenly creased in sadness as she started to cry. Hershel immediately placed his arm around her, holding her close to him. "I'm sorry!"

Rhiannon felt tears sting her eyes watching her sister cry. She moved closer and held her hand tighter, she briefly worried that she was hurting her her grip was so tight.

"After watching what happened to mom and Shawn, seeing them like that...What if it were you or Maggie? I can't go through that!" Beth cried, wiping at her eyes furiously.

"That's not gonna happen." Rhiannon reassured her. "Nothing is going to hurt us, nothing is going to hurt _you_. We protect each other, that's what we do, that's how this family works."

Hershel looked up to his oldest daughter with pride, a watery smile on his face. She had grown so much in just the past couple of days, and he was finally starting to understand where he had gone so wrong all those years ago. He shouldn't have tried to shelter her, he just needed to let her be herself and let her personality shine in its own way.

He hated himself for forcing her into her shell, for wanting her to be something she's not. But watching her now, seeing her as this strong and confident woman, he couldn't have been more proud.

"I'm sorry." Beth repeated, wiping at her tears.

Rhiannon shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Beth, it's ok. We all make mistakes, you've seen me make more than a few."

Beth gave a small smile at that making Rhiannon smile back. "I'm not gonna lie to you, this world isn't easy. And there was a time when I considered giving up, but there was no way in hell I would ever leave you, or you." She said, her eyes moving from Beth to her Dad who also had tears in his eyes. "We're here for each other, through thick and thin, and that's how we survive this world."

"Together." Beth spoke more strongly, her eyes finally meeting her sisters.

"Right by my side." Rhiannon assured her, keeping her hand holding hers tightly. She felt a hand on her shoulder making her look up. Maggie stood behind her, wiping a stray tear away.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed quietly, her guilt for yelling at her earlier overcoming her. Rhiannon nodded and placed her hand on top of Maggie's.

They were finally all together and Rhiannon knew she would go to the ends of the earth to make sure it stayed that way.

Despite all the shit they'd have to endure, the people like Shane that they could run into, and the fact that that asshole was still on their property wouldn't make her life any easier but for the first time in her life, she found the greatest comfort wasn't hiding away by herself or pushing it down until she felt nothing, the best thing for her was sitting right in front of her and she was kicking herself that it took her so long to realize.

The four of them stayed together, talking and laughing until it was dark. Hershel had bid them all goodnight, planting an affectionate kiss on each of their foreheads before leaving the girls to themselves.

"So Beth, guess what?" Maggie smiled wickedly, laying herself down across Beth's legs. "Rhiannon's hooking up with Daryl."

"What?" Beth yelled in shock, looking to her sister who sat with her mouth agape.

"Excuse you?" Rhiannon looked to at Maggie with wide eyes, she felt like she was being ganged up on.

"Seriously? But he's so...rough." Beth scrunched up her nose, giving Rhiannon a look of confused discomfort.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, Beth had always been a prude. "We aren't hooking up."

"Well not yet at least." Maggie interjected, a sly smile on her face. "I saw that hug you gave him today, something's obviously going on."

Rhiannon sighed loudly, fiddling with her fingers as she suddenly felt nervous.

"Come on, I told you about Glenn."

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow at her. "No, I figured that out on my own."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Just tell us." She demanded.

Rhiannon shrugged, biting her lip. "We kissed once, that's it."

Maggie and Beth were both silent and stared at her with their jaws dropped. Maggie's look of shock suddenly morphed into a huge grin and she let out a loud laugh. Beth began to giggle quietly, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"You're such children." Rhiannon scolded them, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not that big of a deal. He's emotionally stunted so it's not like anything's gonna happen between us. It was just a moment of weakness, I mean, have you seen those arms? How could I not try something?"

Maggie snorted, making Beth laugh even harder. Rhiannon scowled and moved to get up off the bed but both of her sisters grabbed her to stop her and pulled her back to sit on the bed. Rhiannon glared at them but couldn't keep it up, a small smile worked its way on her face.

"Wait, what makes you think nothing's gonna happen between you two?" Maggie asked, now more serious than before as both of their laughter had stopped.

"You've met Daryl, it's not hard to figure out why." Rhiannon said sarcastically. Of course something she wanted couldn't come easily, it wouldn't be her life if it would be simple.

"Rhi, I saw that hug, he didn't wanna let you go. You're the first person he looks for when he comes in the house, the only time I've ever seen him smile was when he's with you and as soon as you leave he's back to that usual scowl. And that day at the barn, he was protecting you, making sure you didn't get hurt. How can you not see that?"

Rhiannon looked at Maggie with a look of conflict. All the joking around them had left and the aura around them had turned serious. "It's complicated. _He's_ complicated. I know he cares about me, but it's just not that easy."

She knew Daryl was overwhelmed with their relationship...friendship...whatever it was that they had. And honestly, so was she. She never thought she'd be in a relationship again, after how hurt she'd been with her last one, with the scars she was left with. She didn't want to love anyone after that, she was too scared.

But Daryl was different, he was special and she knew that. She didn't care that she felt too proud to fall for anyone before, things were different know and she knew she'd regret it if she did nothing about her feelings for him.

She just hoped Daryl was willing to risk it too.

* * *

 **So this is more of a filler chapter. Next chapter will have more fluff and some more bonding with the group. Good stuff is coming soon!**

 **Thanks for reading xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Soooo this ended up being almost 8.5K but I think you're all going to be very happy with what happens...**

* * *

Daryl clenched his bloodied fists, grimacing slightly at the pain. He had been worked up ever since yesterday and hearing that kid spout off about his group had only made his anger double. Daryl had no shame that every time he punched Randall he pictured a certain ex cop in his place. He felt even less shame at the fact that he enjoyed picturing Shane as he beat the crap out of someone.

 _One night we found a campsite...a man and his two daughters…_

Daryl grit his teeth so hard he swore he heard them crack. The story the boy had told him made his blood boil. Not only was it the second day in a row he was dealing with the scum of the earth but both of them were at his camp, just feet away from his group. Just outside her doorstep.

The cold morning air bit as his skin, but he didn't mind. He was walking back to his tent miles away which was a good thing for everyone else. He doubted they'd appreciate him trying to kill Shane every two minutes. He had barely contained himself when he had to go to camp and tell everyone what they'd been waiting to hear, whether or not Randall was a threat.

Daryl wanted to scream at them, tell them the kid wasn't the only one they had to be scared of.

He was enjoying the peace and quiet he'd been deprived of that morning thanks to Rhiannon accepting Rick's request on his behalf when he heard hurried footsteps following him and he felt what little patience he had beginning to slip.

He turned on his heel, expecting to see Carol behind him, about to berate him for beating up the kid. Instead he saw Rick walking towards him with a hesitant look on his face, like he was regretting the decisions that brought him to Daryl.

Rick wasn't sure how the hunter was going to react to seeing him. He'd been ok just minutes before, but he figured that was just because he had to tell him what he found out. The second he finished talking he was gone, stalking away with the angry gait he had that was becoming very familiar.

Rick couldn't blame him for being angry. He was angry too, angry that he didn't know the truth about yesterday and if he did, he didn't know what he was supposed to do about it. Could he really keep two key members of the group separated forever?

"What?" Daryl stated plainly, his fist clenched on the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder.

Rick paused, thinking of what he should say. Sorry maybe? No, he wouldn't be saying it to the right person. He wanted to clear the air but he found that he wanted Rhiannon there to keep the man calm. It was absolutely incredible to watch the way the brash man tamed the second he looked at her.

Rick knew nothing he said would make Daryl feel better so he decided to say nothing about the confusing situation that loomed over them and focus on the trivial reason he had found him. He pulled out the small ipod in his pocket, slowly handing it over to the man who looked ready to knock his teeth out.

"I forgot to give this back to Rhiannon last night. Figured she'd go crazy without it."

Daryl eyed the man suspiciously, like he had some ulterior motive for giving it to him. He slowly grabbed it from him, stuffing it in his pocket. He knew why Rick didn't go to the house and give it to her himself, Daryl could see the guilt on his face clear as day, he just didn't know why he wasn't doing anything about it.

Rick saw the look on Daryl's face, the annoyance and the disappointment. He could understand that, if Lori had been the one to get hurt and no one did anything about it, he'd be pissed too.

 _Rhiannon's your friend, she's been more help than Shane's been the past month,_ his conscience screamed at him, the same thing it had been saying since yesterday when he saw that poor girl with a bloody nose, crying hysterically and his partner standing there casually like nothing had been wrong.

"About yesterday," Rick began slowly despite all his rational thought yelling at him to shut up. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I didn't care, I do. I hate that she got hurt, and I'm gonna talk to Shane about that-"

"That all you're gonna talk to him about?" Daryl spat, taking a step closer to Rick who tended as the furious hunter approached. "This ain't the first time he's hurt her. Remember the barn, when he threw her down? You know he's different, ain't like how he was at the quarry."

Rick sighed, knowing everything he was saying was right. "I can't just kick him out."

"Why not?" Daryl immediately responded, his face creased in irritation, like he was watching someone who couldn't solve one plus one.

Rick opened his mouth and quickly closed it when he realized he had nothing to say, no argument in Shane's defence. Because he's my friend was just too ridiculous to say outloud. "I'll talk to Shane." Was all he could say.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you do that." He mumbled and began to walk past him to head to the farm house.

"Daryl," Rick's voice called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. Daryl exhaled sharply and turned around to face him slowly, clearly aggravated with the leader. "Did Shane...did he really threaten...to rape her?" He asked slowly, dreading the answer.

Daryl's jaw clenched tightly, his body thrumming with anger as he thought back to when Shane had threatened Rhiannon. "Yeah, he did. You really think she'd lie 'bout that?"

Rick shook his head slowly, staring down at his feet. He didn't think Rhiannon would lie to make Shane look bad, she wasn't that kind of person. But it was so hard for Rick to realize what that meant, what that made Shane.

"Yesterday, I got there first, saw what he was doin' to her." Daryl started, his hand drumming against his leg with unused energy. All he wanted to do was run back to camp and beat Shane until he couldn't move. It took everything in him to stay still. "He was on top of her, had his hands 'round her neck."

Rick squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was absolutely lost at this point.

Daryl glared at Rick, his hands practically shaking with anger. "If you don't do nothing 'bout Shane, then I will." He warned him and quickly left before he took his anger out on him.

He stomped towards the house, his body wound tight with anger but with each step and the closer he got, he felt his anger beginning to melt away. He was still pissed, probably would be until the bastard was dealt with, but he at least wasn't looking to punch someone anymore.

If Daryl was being honest with himself, he was actually thankful that Rick had given him a reason to go see Rhiannon. He'd been tense all morning, wondering if she was ok after what she'd been through the day before.

It wasn't until he found himself in the big house that he felt lost, that he realized Rhiannon's father might not be happy to see him seeking out his daughter and his nerves spiked. His mind yelled at him to just turn around and run out the door.

Daryl was so wrapped up in his own head, he didn't notice Maggie standing in the doorway with a knowing smile on her face.

"You looking for something?" She called out, trying to hide her smile as she realized she'd startled him. The blush on his cheeks made her want to smile even wider.

Daryl wanted nothing more than to sprint out of sight at that moment. "Uhh, I...I'm..." Daryl stuttered helplessly. He finally pulled the ipod out of his pocket and managed to take in a deep breath. "I gotta give this back." He mumbled, avoiding eye contact with her.

Maggie nodded slowly, reveling in the way she'd made the big bad hunter squirm. She inwardly rolled her eyes, _Rhiannon must be more stupid than I thought if she can't see the way he's wrapped around her finger._

"She's in her room, you can go on up."

Daryl floundered for a moment, standing with his mouth open but no words coming out. He cleared his throat, shaking his head slightly. "I can just leave it here." He mumbled, placing the iPod on the table.

Maggie stared at him quizzically. "I'm sure she'd love to see you." She said, trying to hide her devious smirk knowing Rhiannon would kill her if she were there to hear it. She noticed the way Daryl grit his teeth and the antsy way he shifted on his feet and she frowned slightly.

She knew his annoyance wasn't directed at her, he wasn't glaring at her, he was staring down at his hand that clenched around the small device that had led him to the house.

Maggie knew Rhiannon was right about what she'd said the night before. Her relationship with Daryl wasn't simple, it probably never would be as long as Daryl didn't gain some confidence and actually do something about his feelings.

Rhiannon was the most confident and fearless person Maggie had ever known, she didn't know why she wasn't making her move, she couldn't understand what was scaring her when it was clear that Daryl cared about her.

It wasn't like Rhiannon to wait around for the man to make a move.

Maggie bit her lip and placed her hand on Daryl's arm making him flinch. She immediately pulled her hand back and took a step back, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry." She whispered and quickly left the room when she noticed the icy expression on his face.

She paused in the doorway, turning to look at him once more. Daryl confused her, at first she thought he was erratic and frankly, an asshole. But when she noticed the way he was with her sister, she saw a different side of him. She thought he was pretty adorable, the two of them together was certainly something to see.

Her frown deepened when she noticed Daryl sigh deeply and shake his head. Again, she noticed he wasn't mad at her for what had just happened, he was mad at himself, mad at his own reaction.

Daryl Dixon was a mystery to her and she knew her big sister would probably be the only one to figure him out.

At least Maggie _hoped_ she would be.

Daryl stood in the silence for a few moments, trying not to let his insecurities get the best of him. He hadn't meant to flinch away from Maggie, it was just a reflex. He still tensed up when Rhiannon touched him even when it was something he gladly welcomed and he wanted nothing more than to be close to her. It's just the way he'd always been and he doubted that would ever change.

He cursed under his breath softly and tapped his fingers against the table nervously. "Fuck it." He mumbled, finally making his decision no matter how much it scared him. He grabbed the ipod and began to make his way up the stairs to her room.

It was bad enough that Rick knew he cared enough about Rhiannon to ask him to go approach her, but knowing her own sister had an inkling to his feelings for her, that scared the shit out of him.

But Daryl had never been one to give a fuck what people thought about him and he didn't want his own self hatred to ruin whatever the hell their relationship was. He couldn't let that happen again.

He found himself in front of her closed door and paused. He ignored the pounding in his chest and took in a deep breath. He rolled his eyes at himself once he realized how ridiculous he was being, he was acting like he was about to go charge into a fucking battle.

He knocked quietly and opened the door slowly, peeking his head in. He expected to see the bright smile that lights up her face and makes her even more beautiful but he halted his movements and swallowed thickly when he saw her fast asleep in her bed.

This was _not_ what he was expecting.

Despite the spike in his nerves and the awkwardness he felt, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. She was laying on her stomach with her blonde hair strewn messily across her pillow.

Rhiannon was always very put together, and even when she did show moments of weakness she still conveyed a certain amount of strength and calmness. But the way she slept was anything but put together and calm. Her legs were spread like a starfish, with her left foot peeking out from under the covers.

Daryl found it so endearing and just so _Rhiannon_. She was a wildcard, why would she be any different in her sleep?

 _Stop staring you fucking creep,_ his mind yelled at him, snapping him out of his daze and causing the soft smile on his face to disappear.

He slowly crept across the wooden floors, trying to be as quiet as possible. It wouldn't look good for him if she woke up and saw him in her room like a predator.

He placed her iPod on the small desk, wincing slightly as the earphones clattered to the floor but slowly unclenched as he heard her steady breaths, she hadn't woken up.

Daryl paused, even though he knew he should be getting the hell out of there before she woke up and he creeped her out. But he remembered when he was laid up in her bed after his accident, he had admired the picture of her and Maggie as kids on her bedside table.

He remembers seeing a few pictures across the room but he was in too much pain to get up and look, and he felt like that would be creepy. But for some reason, seeking them out now didn't feel wrong.

Their friendship, or whatever the fuck they had between them, had grown exponentially seemingly overnight.

He gently picked up the small frame and his lips parted in surprise. He saw an older woman with familiar brown eyes staring back at him. The woman had a huge grin on her face like she was in the middle of laughing while a young, blonde toddler sat in her lap.

Daryl felt a smile growing on his face at the sight of a young Rhiannon cuddled up with her mother. He knew she'd called Annette her stepmother, he knew this wasn't the woman who had been massacred just a week ago.

And he was beyond thankful for that. Seeing that they had the same big brown eyes and seeing the young girl look so happy in her mother's arms, Daryl didn't think he'd ever be able to look at her again if he had killed this woman. Walker or not, he felt a pit in his stomach at the thought.

The rustling of sheets broke him from his thoughts. He needed to go, now. Daryl placed the picture back on the desk and turned to make his leave.

He didn't feel the cord to the earphones wrapped around his leg but he certainly heard the crash the device made as it fell to the floor.

Rhiannon jerked awake, her hand instantly going to the knife she kept under her pillow. She sat up quickly, holding her arm out as she readied to spear whoever was in her room. She immediately deflated when she noticed who it was.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled, his hands fumbling as he picked up the thing that had damned him.

Rhiannon wanted to burst out laughing at him if she wasn't so confused. "Uhh, hi." She said, her voice raising at the end as if it were a question.

"Uhh, hey. I just- um- I have this." He held up her ipod, hoping that would be enough of an explanation for her because his rambling certainly wasn't doing any good.

"Oh, thanks." She said with a smile and dropped her knife on her bedside table.

 _That's it?,_ Daryl thought to himself. He expected something to get thrown at him as she yelled at him to get out of her room.

"Sorry for jus' bargin' in." He mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Rhiannon shrugged, she didn't think it was a big deal. She definitely wasn't gonna complain about seeing him.

Daryl took a step closer to her and eyed the hunting knife on the table. "You always keep that under your pillow?"

Rhiannon tensed and nodded slowly. "Doesn't hurt to be careful." She spoke quietly.

Daryl felt his anger flare at her words. Shane had made her this scared, paranoid woman and he couldn't stand it.

Normally Rhiannon would be the first person out of the house in the morning to check the fences around the farm. He hated thinking that the reason she hadn't been this morning was because she was too scared to sleep, worrying if Shane would make his move in the cover of the night.

Rhiannon's eyes zeroed in on Daryl's bloodied knuckles. She sat up in her bed and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to her.

Daryl's eyes widened and he almost gasped in surprise as he suddenly found himself sitting on her bed with his shoulder touching hers.

"Is this from Shane?" She asked quietly as she gently ran her fingers over the bruised and broken skin. She had seen his knuckles yesterday after he had beaten the man, she didn't think they were _this_ bad.

"Nah...Randall."

Rhiannon frowned even deeper, guilt washer over her. "Oh." She whispered, pulling her hand back making Daryl's frown match hers. He immediately missed the feeling. "I'm sorry, I kinda forced you into that."

"No you didn't. 'Sides, you were right, we needed answers 'bout his group."

Rhiannon nodded in understanding but she still didn't like it. Why couldn't Rick just do it himself, Daryl wasn't his hit man. He may have acted like a violent, redneck asshole at the beginning but it was a facade, a defence mechanism so no one could get close to him. It wasn't who he really was. It annoyed her that Rick couldn't see that, or at least he didn't act like he did.

"What'd you find out?"

Daryl tensed and tore his eyes from her to look at his hands that fidgeted in his lap. Rhiannon noticed how he seemed to close up within seconds.

"Kid's gotta go. His group's dangerous...they've...hurt people." He said, choosing his words carefully as he nervously bit at his thumb.

The way he refused to look at her made alarm bells ring in her head. "Women?" She asked quietly.

Daryl grit his teeth and nodded. "Those guys you saw in the woods, their group's the same as them. And there's thirty of 'em."

Rhiannon sighed, "shit."

The pair sat in silence as they both stewed over the inevitable conflict the group would be having about what to do with their prisoner.

Daryl's head snapped up to the door that was half open when he heard the creaking of floorboards. Someone was walking down the hall.

He moved to stand, wanting to leave before someone caught them. God forbid Hershel sees him sitting on his daughter's bed.

The footsteps made their way down the stairs, they didn't even move past her room. Rhiannon snickered at Daryl's fearful expression.

His eyes snapped down to hers and he scowled at the obvious amusement she had at his expense. His glare didn't last long though, and it soon turned into a shy smile he tried to hide by turning his head away from her.

He was no match for those damn brown eyes and that mischievous smile she had.

"I'm thinking of going into town today, you wanna come?" She suddenly said.

"Yeah." He answered immediately. He knew if he didn't go with her she'd still go out there by herself and there was no way he was letting that happen. "What're we lookin' for?"

"Need more medical stuff. Maggie said the pharmacy's been pretty much picked clean but there's a private family doctor in town. It'd be a bit harder to get in but I figure it's probably fully stocked."

Daryl nodded, impressed. "Sounds good."

"Yeah we've been running low on stuff ever since you were a klutz and put an arrow in your side."

Daryl sent a glare her way. "It was the damn horse's fault." He mumbled.

"Mhmm." She hummed sarcastically, biting her lip to keep from smiling too wide. It was just so much fun riling him up, and it was easy. "So we'll leave in about an hour, I'm gonna make a list and ask around - make sure we get what everyone needs." She said, now back to business.

Daryl stiffened at her words, he didn't want her walking around camp without him and he sure as hell didn't want her taking Shane's fucking grocery list. "Nah, i'll do it."

"It's ok, I can-"

"No." Daryl snapped, interrupting her.

Rhiannon sighed and glared at him, mirroring the look he was giving her. "So you're gonna willingly approach every person in this group and have a conversation with each and every one of them?"

The distaste Daryl felt at the notion was evident on his face as he scowled and scrunched his nose up.

 _Fuck, he was too cute,_ Rhiannon thought to herself. She laughed quietly. "That's what I thought."

Daryl huffed, clearly agitated. Rhiannon could tell he was getting ready to argue with her. She frowned and stood from her bed so she was now standing in front of him.

"I'm not gonna go anywhere near him. You think I give a shit about getting his fucking toothpaste?" She joked though Daryl had trouble finding the humour in the situation. He bit at his cheek, his body thrumming with nerves. "Hey, he's not gonna do anything, i'll make sure I'm always with someone."

Daryl sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. He knew he wasn't going to get his way when he argued with her, she never backed down. "Fine." He mumbled angrily and made his way out of her room. "Pain in my ass." He mumbled as he closed the door behind him.

"Get used to it!" He heard her yell back.

Daryl laughed softly, feeling a thousand times lighter as he walked down the stairs and out of the house.

He didn't understand how she could make his anger disappear, how she could turn his mood around with just a smile. It still scared him half to death what she could do to him but he had realized he actually liked it despite how anxious she made him feel.

* * *

Rhiannon's list was already a full page after she'd talked to everyone. She hadn't seen Rick or Shane anywhere which she was grateful for and Lori was helpful enough to guess what the two men needed.

She had just finished writing a x4 beside deodorant when a shadow loomed over her. Her limbs involuntarily tensed. She looked up and sighed in relief as it was just T-Dog but she was immediately tense again when she noticed the look on his face.

"You forget something?" She asked, her eyes scanning the list to avoid making eye contact with him.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You know, after what happened yesterday, you seemed pretty shaken up."

Rhiannon immediately raised her head, her eyes roaming around to make sure no one had heard him. There was no one around to hear but that didn't calm her nerves at all.

She appreciated his concern for her but she didn't want to talk about it, at all. "Everything's fine." She said flippantly and turned on her heel to walk away.

"Is Rick kicking him out? Is that where they went, to talk about it?" T-Dog followed after her quickly.

Rhiannon stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "Wait, wait, what are you talking about?"

"They went off about 10 minutes ago, Rick said he needed to talk to him. I figured it was about what he did yesterday."

"So you believe me? You think he did all that..stuff." She said, not allowing herself to repeat what he'd done. She just wanted to stop thinking about it altogether.

T-Dog narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah." He said slowly. "I saw how you were yesterday and it wasn't too hard to notice what Shane's been like around you for the past few weeks."

Rhiannon bit her lip as she felt it begin to quiver and she blinked rapidly to keep her eyes from watering. She knew she'd been upset that Rick hadn't believed her she just didn't know how much it had actually affected her. "Thanks." She whispered, not allowing her voice to go any louder in fear that it would break with the emotions she was barely holding back.

T-Dog frowned deeply at the sight of her crumbling. "I know this is probably a stupid question, but are you sure you're ok?"

Rhiannon exhaled shakily and looked down at her feet. "I really have no idea." She spoke with a strained voice.

T-Dog looked at with sympathetic eyes and smiled weakly before opening his arm to her. Rhiannon gave a small laugh and slowly accepted his hug.

She didn't realize how much she needed this, how good it felt to have someone in her corner. She knew if she told her family what had happened with Shane, they'd all be by her side but it would no doubt cause a shit load of drama.

This world was stressful enough and she wanted to keep this quiet.

She couldn't control that T-Dog had found out and she was actually grateful for that. For once, the burden to come clean wasn't on her.

"Thank you." She smiled and pulled away.

He gave her a big grin and shrugged. "It wasn't a tough decision to figure out who was in the wrong. I hope it gets worked out."

She rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath."

T-Dog frowned again and looked at her skeptically. "Why do you say that?"

"You heard that bullshit story Shane told, apparently Rick doesn't think it's bullshit."

"Look, Rick might be the leader but that doesn't mean his voice is the only one that matters. You have people that support you. Shane won't get away with this."

Rhiannon started to smile at his words but her face dropped when she noticed Carol behind him taking slow steps towards them, a look of concern on her face.

"Everything ok?" She asked, her eyes flitting between the two of them.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and just stared back at her with wide eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights. T-Dog looked at her sheepishly and mouthed an apology.

Carol had heard what T-Dog had said as she was passing. _Shane won't get away with what?,_ she thought to herself.

"Everything's fine, Carol. I was just asking him what he needed from town."

T-Dog nodded in agreement and smiled, trying not to act like a complete liar who was hiding something. "Well, i'll let you get going. Good luck out there."

Rhiannon glared at the man as he scurried off like he couldn't get away fast enough and she was left to deal with Carol who she knew didn't believe her blatant lie.

The two women stood in silence, Rhiannon fidgeting awkwardly as Carol stared her down with a motherly glare.

"Well, I should go, Daryl's probably waiting for me."

"What happened with Shane?" Carol blurted out bluntly.

"Jeez, you don't beat around the bush." Rhiannon mumbled, biting at her lip.

"Rhiannon, I want you to be honest with me. I've seen the way you look at Shane." She paused and breathed out heavily, like she didn't even want to continue. "Did he do something to you?" Her voice was small, no longer holding the motherly authority it did before.

"Shane's an asshole. He doesn't like it when people speak against him and I do that all the time. Of course he doesn't like me."

Carol sighed and stepped towards her, grabbing her hands in hers. "Honey, you didn't answer my question." Her eyes were glassy as they stared at her which made Rhiannon want to cry herself.

Carol knew about her past and Rhiannon knew about hers. The woman had lost her daughter just days ago yet she was concerned about _her._

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and pulled away from Carol, taking a few steps backwards. "I can't talk about this right now."

"Why not? If he did something to you-"

"I just can't!" She yelled, making the older woman go quiet.

Rhiannon turned her head, not wanting Carol to see just how emotional she was. She was sure that was pretty clear evidence that something had happened but thankfully she didn't say anything else.

Rhiannon could see Daryl walking towards the car. He nodded his head at her, silently telling her he was ready to go.

"I gotta go." She said quietly.

"Rhiannon, wait-"

"I'll talk to you later." Rhiannon said over her shoulder and didn't look back as she walked away.

She began to feel bad for acting like a bitch and shooting her down, especially after everything that poor woman had been through, but she just couldn't talk about it.

She knew T-Dog was right, Shane had been a major dick to everyone and they would probably be empathetic towards her if they knew what happened, but Rhiannon didn't want that. She didn't want to be known as 'the one he attacked', she didn't want to be seen as the damsel in distress.

She just wanted it to be left alone.

"Hey, you ready?" Daryl asked as she approached.

She nodded and grabbed the bags that were left on the steps for them to take. She waved to her Dad who stood on the porch with an ashen expression on his face. He definitely wasn't happy she was going out there and he especially wasn't happy when he found out who was going with her.

Hershel didn't know what to think of Daryl, he hadn't spent enough time around the man to really form an opinion. But he definitely noticed the motorcycle he rode and the leather jacket he wore and the fact that he'd been spending an awful lot of time with his daughter since the group got to the farm. He was undoubtedly nervous about Daryl being close to his baby girl.

Rhiannon gave her father one last weak smile when she noticed how nervous he looked. She couldn't help but feel a little worn out about her father's concern for her. She'd spent weeks out there, most of it by herself, he could at least give her a little credit. She knew what she was doing.

She got into the driver's side and tapped her fingers against the wheel impatiently, not even sparing a glance at Daryl as he got in the car. She was riled up from her conversation with T and Carol and was left in a bad mood.

Her thoughts shifted to Shane and how he'd not only violated her but was now straining her relationships with other people in the group. He'd been the asshole that hurt her, why was it then her job to come clean to everyone about it? But on the other hand, she didn't want Shane spouting off lies to everyone about her. _Oh god, what if he tells people about my scars?_

Rhiannon grit her teeth at the thought and her knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel tightly. That couldn't happen, ever. It would be the last thing Shane ever did.

The car was silent for a couple of minutes as her mind ran. Daryl eyed her with a furrowed brow. She'd been fine this morning, what had changed in the hour they'd been apart? He hadn't seen Shane or Rick anywhere near camp so he doubted they had anything to do with it.

Rhiannon sighed audibly and leaned her head back while keeping her eyes on the road. Daryl couldn't handle it anymore. If the roles were reversed and she was worried about him, she'd talk to him and try to make him feel better. Hell, she'd done that a few times already. It was least he could do to finally reciprocate.

"You ok?" Daryl asked quietly, discreetly moving his eyes to look out the window so she didn't notice that he'd been staring at her.

"Mhmm." She replied absentmindedly, giving him a fleeting smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She knew Daryl wouldn't believe her so she handed him her iPod that sat in the cup holder. "Here, pick a song." She told him, hoping that would be enough to distract him.

Daryl eyed her wearily and took the device in his hands with a sigh. He knew what she was doing, she was trying to deflect the subject. He wanted to roll his eyes at the annoyance that ran through him. _You've been doin' the same shit to her since day one, calm down,_ he reminded himself which effectively calmed him down.

He'd just let her cool down and when she was ready she'd talk to him. At least he hoped she would. He also hoped it wouldn't be too long until she did confide in him about what was going on with her because he was already feeling impatient.

Daryl scrolled through the long list of songs, most of them he didn't even recognize. He suddenly felt a wave of emotion wash over him and it felt like the breath had been knocked out of him.

 _Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac_

His thumb hovered over the play button as he contemplated telling the woman next to him about a huge emotional moment in his life. He let out a heavy breath and scrolled past it. He wasn't ready to tell her just how much that song had meant to him over the years, about his mother and what she'd told him as a kid.

Maybe someday, but not today.

The Ramones suddenly broke the silence in the car making Rhiannon let out a small laugh.

"What?" Daryl questioned, a small smirk on his face.

She shook her head while smiling widely. "You're so predictable."

Daryl bit back a grin as he stared out the window at the passing scenery, his fingers lightly tapping against his thigh to the beat of the music.

Rhiannon hummed to the tune, her fingers tapping against the steering wheel, now in a way that wasn't out of annoyance. She could feel eyes on her making her blush. She turned her head and met his eyes briefly. He looked at her like she was something so precious to him, like she was the reason he was smiling, and if Daryl was being honest with himself, she was.

The intensity in his gaze was too much for her and she averted her eyes back to the road.

"How come you don't sing?" He asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

Daryl shrugged. "I hear your sister singin' all the time but I never hear you. I mean I did, that one time…" He said slowly, now feeling embarrassed that he had brought up that time he'd seen her signing to Beth and she'd caught him in the hallway like a creep. "You sounded good." He said, looking down at his shoes, hoping he hadn't made things between them awkward.

Rhiannon was taken aback by his words. She floundered for a moment before just shrugging in response. "I dunno, I just leave it Beth, I guess."

Daryl nodded and they both settled for listening to the music that played in the background but Daryl still had questions on his mind.

He turned his attention back to her, biting at his lip as he studied her while she drove. Her hair was up in a messy bun which was new, but he liked it, it allowed him to see her face without her long locks getting in the way. He noticed the light dusting of freckles over her cheekbones and nose and the stud that sparkled in the sun. The curve of her nose was perfect, the curve of her lips were perfect, _fuck,_ everything about her was perfect.

The longer Daryl looked at her the more anxious he got. He was slowly coming around to the idea of finally just giving in, saying 'fuck it, let's just go for it' and giving it his all. She'd already told him she had feelings for him, so fear of rejection certainly wasn't stopping him.

But looking at her and taking in just how beautiful she was, Daryl knew without a doubt that he'd never stand a chance with her in the real world. She deserved someone better, someone who didn't have a mile long list of insecurities and skeletons in the closet.

Maybe somewhere down the road they'd meet other survivors and she would meet someone else, someone who hasn't yelled at her and put her down. That's what she deserved.

He kept telling himself that but just thinking of her with another man made his blood boil. The thought was too much to bear.

"You ok?" She asked with a frown, noticing how tense he'd gotten despite looking so carefree just a minute ago.

Daryl looked at her with a blank expression. "You gonna tell me what was botherin' you earlier?" He asked, ignoring her question about him.

Rhiannon gave him an irritated look. "It's nothing."

Daryl scoffed. "Right." He said sarcastically, leaning his arm out the window. "You're smart 'nough to know that bottling shit up makes it worse. I mean - look what happened to me."

Rhiannon couldn't help but let out a small smile. Daryl had a way of making her laugh even when she was most stressed. He had a way of letting her speak her mind without feeling like she was being pressured to tell some huge secret.

She sighed, her body finally relaxing back in her seat. "I think I have to tell Carol what happened with Shane."

Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Why?"

"She overheard something T-Dog said about it."

Daryl looked at her and saw how much this was really affecting her, she was genuinely nervous and upset about it. "You know...Carol's gonna believe you. There's no way in hell she'd believe any of the shit that comes outta Shane's mouth over you."

"That's not what's bothering me." She said quietly and let out a deep breath. "I just don't want people to think that I'm _that_ girl - the victim, the one they need to look out for."

Daryl looked at her in bewilderment. "No one's gonna think that. You've already given Shane a bloody nose." Daryl said and suddenly a small chuckle escaped him. "You even knocked Merle on his ass. If those people knew that, you'd be a damn God to them."

Rhiannon snorted out a laugh, suddenly feeling a thousand times better.

Daryl smiled softly when she did. He felt like it was quite the accomplishment he'd just made, helping her feel better. "How _did_ you kick Merle's ass?"

"I was a little nervous when I first moved to the city so I took self defence classes and I've been doing ballet since I was three, that's a pretty lethal combo." She joked.

Daryl bit at the inside of his cheek, trying to stop his smile from becoming too wide. He felt like he'd smiled more this whole car ride than the last five years of his life.

The rest of the car ride was spent in relative silence, only the occasional random topic of interest coming up when it pleased them. Daryl was quite happy to listen to the music that played. He can't remember the last time he let the windows down and listened to music, it was even harder to remember a time where _he_ had been able to pick the music. Merle was always so strict about his radio in the car. It was Motorhead, Metallica, and Zeppelin or nothing at all.

They were both enjoying the drive that when she pulled up in front of the doctor's office it was like the weight that had dissipated from their shoulders was thrown back on the second they stepped out of the car.

Daryl came around to Rhiannon's side where she was taking the backpacks out from the back seat. He stood behind her and smirked when he noticed another tattoo on the back of her neck.

"That's four." He mumbled making her look up at him in confusion. "That one a drunk mistake too?"

Rhiannon shoved him playfully. "Ass."

The joking between them vanished as soon as they heard the familiar growl of an approaching walker. It was only one and it was slowly stumbling down the street ahead of them, paying no attention to them.

Rhiannon shut the car door as quietly as possible and quickly made her way to the office door. She pulled out a bobby pin from her hair and handed it to Daryl who still had his eyes glued to the lone walker.

"You know how to pick a lock?" He nodded and took the pin from her, bending down on his knee to start working on unlocking the door. Rhiannon smirked at him. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Shut it, Tinkerbell." Came his quick retort.

Rhiannon watched his back with a smile on her face. It wasn't too long before the door opened with a click. She gave him a teasing smile to which he just sent back a playful glare. "Come on." He said softly and stepped into the building.

Rhiannon followed behind him, her eyes scanning around the room. The both of them jumped slightly as a loud slamming was heard beside them. Daryl was immediately in front of her, blocking her from the threat. She peered around him, ignoring the butterflies she felt at him protecting her, and saw a pair of hands shadowed by the blinds on the door, banging at the glass.

"Just the one?"

Daryl nodded. "Looks like it." He gave her a look to which she nodded. She found it amazing that they could communicate silently, she had no idea when that had happened.

Daryl raised his bow and waited. Rhiannon had her hand on the doorknob and waited for his signal. As soon as his eyes flickered over to hers she turned the knob and kicked the door open, making sure to take a large step back before the rotting hands could reach out for her, not that Daryl would ever let that happen as the walker was falling to the ground with an arrow embedded in its eye socket the second the door was open wide enough.

Rhiannon pulled her sword off her back and peered into the room as Daryl grabbed his arrow back. The two of them entered the small doctor's office and immediately started filling their bags with gauze and bandages.

They moved quickly and quietly, grabbing everything they needed. Daryl saw that the shelves were almost empty and peered out into the hallway. "I'm gonna check out the room at the back."

Rhiannon nodded. "Ok, be careful."

Daryl paused, struck by her words. He opened his mouth and quickly closed it, settling for a simple nod instead. He shook his head from the flustered teenager that always seem to take over him whenever she was around and made his way to the next room over.

He slowly opened the door and raised his bow. There wasn't even a rustle as he opened the door wider and stepped in, the room was empty.

He started filling up his bag with everything he found. He didn't know anything about medicine and doubted if a lot of the stuff would even be helpful but it was better to be safe than sorry.

As he finished, he slung the back over his shoulder and moved to leave and find Rhiannon. He stopped though when he noticed another door, probably a utility closet. He shrugged, thinking it wouldn't hurt to check.

He started to open the door slowly but it was suddenly pushed open forcefully, slamming against his hand, making him drop his crossbow. The lone walker that had been hidden in there for who knows how long was suddenly very excited at the thought of finally getting a meal.

Daryl cursed and pushed the walker back but the man it used to be was well over six feet and he was having difficulty keeping it at bay. He grunted with effort and pushed it back against the wall. Before he even had time to reach for his knife, a blade was suddenly protruding from the side of it's head.

Daryl was panting heavily and his wide eyes met Rhiannon's who look back at him in concern. She was the first to break their gaze and she looked down at the backpack he'd dropped and all their findings sprawled across the tiled floor.

Rhiannon smirked. "I told you you were a klutz." She teased him.

She was expecting to get his usual glare in return or even a sarcastic comment but he said nothing. Rhiannon frowned, now worried that he'd been hurt or bit. The way he looked at her made her heart beat faster.

Before she could say anything he had taken two long strides to stand in front of her. His hand grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her towards him and his lips crashed onto hers forcefully.

Daryl held onto her tightly, his hands framing her face as he kissed her deeply. Her body tensed in surprise at first but she quickly relaxed against him and gripped onto his back, pulling him even closer into her.

The kiss deepened and became frantic and frenzied as his tongue invaded her mouth and made her moan against him. Daryl could've collapsed then and there.

They moved in sync, each movement of their lips and tongues making the other feel even weaker than before.

Daryl regretfully pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes clenched shut as he panted. "Is this really what you want? _Am I_ really what you want?" He asked, his voice only barely above a whisper. He needed to know before he did anything else. He didn't want her to regret anything.

Rhiannon was hit with a wave of emotions at his tone and smiled sadly. "Daryl, you're the only one I want." The look of disbelief he still had on his face made her grip him tighter and she pecked his lips softly making his tense body melt into hers. "Just let yourself be selfish for once in your life."

Daryl didn't need to respond, at least not with words. He leaned down and claimed her lips with his again. His hands that framed her face moved down the curve of her neck and down her back making her shiver. He quickly moved them to the back of her thighs and swiftly picked her up making her gasp in surprise and move her arms around his neck. She tugged at his hair making him groan lowly.

He carried her to the desk across the room and sat her down. Rhiannon immediately swiped everything off and laid down, pulling on his shirt to bring him down with her so he was hovering above her.

Their heated kiss was never once broken in all the chaos which Rhiannon was quite proud of so she let out a small whine as he pulled away. The noise of annoyance immediately turned into a moan as Daryl began to trail kisses down her neck. She couldn't help but smile widely. _Is this really happening?_

She got impatient, missing his lips on hers and pulled at his hair, making him look up at her. Before he could worry about what she'd meant by doing that, her legs had wrapped themselves around his calves and she leaned up on her elbows, finding his mouth again.

Rhiannon kissed him with a passion that made his head spin. It was unbelievable just how incredible this felt, how right it felt to finally be together like this. It was even better than the first time and Daryl was kicking himself that he waited so long to do it again.

She bit and pulled at his bottom lip and Daryl actually whimpered, letting out a helpless sound that had shocked the both of them. "Fuck." He groaned, panting audibly.

A loud noise broke them apart, Daryl almost falling off the desk completely. There was a walker banging on the front door trying to get in. It had probably been drawn in by the sound of everything falling off the desk.

They both simultaneously sighed, the fevered aura in the room suddenly broken but the two of them were reluctant to move despite it. Rhiannon stared up at him breathless and speechless as he looked back at her with equal shock and desire.

Things were different now, they had to be.

Daryl slowly got off the desk and fixed his shirt that had been in disarray from her grabbing hands, not that he actually minded. He tried desperately to ignore the bulge in his jeans and he quickly scooped up everything that had been dropped from his bag and grabbed his crossbow, slinging it over his shoulder.

He pulled Rhiannon's sword from the walker's head and held it out to her. Their fingers brushed against each other's as she took it from him. They paused and Daryl swore he could hear his heartbeat in his ears as her brown eyes met his.

She smiled softly and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. His lips quirked up slightly and he could feel himself blush.

Yes, things were definitely different now.

* * *

 ** **ENJOY!****


	20. Chapter 20

The run had gone smoothly and they'd gotten everything they needed from the small pharmacy next door, occasionally stealing glances and small smiles with each other. Rhiannon wondered if the blush on her cheeks would ever go away or if it was now a permanent feature she'd have for the rest of her life.

Daryl had stayed quiet the whole time, only mumbling occasionally when he was going off to look for something. It worried Rhiannon, after what had happened last time they kissed she was definitely paranoid about his reaction this time around.

The pair silently walked back to the car, only having to take out a few walkers on the way. They placed the bags in the trunk and soon as the door was closed they realized that their alone time was coming to an end.

The moment they were back on the farm, Rhiannon would have her family breathing down her neck and Daryl would have to keep up appearance and keep a safe distance unless he wanted everybody in his business, which he certainly did not.

And there was Shane to deal with but neither one of them wanted to think about that.

Daryl noticed the frown on her face and began to worry. _Did she regret what happened?,_ was his immediate thought.

"Hey," he called out softly, grabbing her hand before she could walk over to the driver's side. His sudden surge of bravery surprised him. "What happened before...I don't regret it, not that I did the first time..I was just-"

"Daryl," Rhiannon spoke up, sensing he was about to ramble nervously like he always did when he mentioned that dreaded fight they had.

He sighed deeply, focusing on all the courage he had. "I'm not gonna pull away, it ain't like last time. I'm stayin'." He spoke confidently but suddenly his body tensed slightly and his face morphed into a nervous expression. "I mean, as long as that's what you want." He said quietly, biting at his thumb.

Rhiannon smiled, he was just too cute and he was completely oblivious. "That's what I've wanted for awhile."

Relief flashed across his face and his body relaxed. She noticed his gaze travel from her eyes down to her lips but he stayed still. He didn't want to make the first move and make her uncomfortable.

Rhiannon saw his hesitation and rolled her eyes amusingly before standing on her toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

She pressed her lips to his slowly, smiling slightly at the desperate way Daryl responded as he immediately tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

His hands held steady to her hips, holding her close to him. He couldn't get enough of her.

Rhiannon pulled away slowly, not wanting to get too carried away while they were out in the open, but Daryl had different ideas as he brought his hand up to the back of her neck, keeping her just inches away from him as he breathed heavily.

Not even a second later, his lips were back on hers. Rhiannon giggled against him making him smile lightly.

Daryl pulled away slowly, instantly wishing he hadn't, and opened his eyes only to find her big brown orbs staring back at him.

He felt his breathing stutter as he looked down at her in amazement, his thumb gently stroking her cheek making Rhiannon lean into his touch.

"We should head back." She said quietly.

Daryl nodded in agreement but had yet to make a move. They both smiled at their reluctance to let go, knowing they were both feeling the intensity of their newfound closeness.

Rhiannon stood back up on her toes and kissed him chastely for a few seconds before falling back to her flat feet.

Daryl took a step back, keeping his eyes on her as she gave him one last cheeky smile before she walked to the other side of the car to get into the driver's seat.

He shook his head, letting out a small noise of disbelief, he couldn't believe his luck. He quickly made his way to the other side of the car and got in, stealing a shy glance over at Rhiannon as she started the engine.

Rhiannon bit her lip to keep from smiling widely as she tried to concentrate on the road in front of her and not on the man beside her, but she was having a hard time. They spent the drive in silence, just listening to the music that played.

It was so calming for Daryl to just sit and listen to music with her beside him. He was never one for long and unimportant conversations but with her it seemed like anything they talked about was valuable.

Even when they weren't talking and there was nothing but silence among them, it was comforting. Daryl thought he'd been cursed his whole life, that he'd always be awkward around everyone he met, that he'd never get close to anybody. Rhiannon had certainly turned his life upside down. He never thought this kind of calm and content existed.

But like always, Rhiannon had shown him the light.

Despite Daryl's content with her presence as he thought back to the past twenty minutes with bliss, Rhiannon was more worried about what happened when they got back home. The conversation she had with T-Dog was nagging at her.

He said that Rick asked to talk to Shane and they both left. Was Rick really going to kick him out, is that why he couldn't talk to him with people around?

Rhiannon had her doubts and she was anxious to figure out what was happening, if she was really going to be forced to live with the man that had hurt her.

"What do you think's gonna happen with Shane?" She asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Daryl frowned and furrowed his brow. He figured that was the last thing she'd want to talk about. "I dunno. Ain't got much hope that Rick's gonna do the right thing and throw the son of a bitch out on his ass."

Rhiannon nodded thoughtfully and kept quiet. She was thinking the same thing but she wanted to have hope in Rick. He was a good guy and had helped her a lot, especially with the whole barn problem and confronting her dad. He had been there for her like a real friend. Because of that, there was still a small part of her that thought he would take her side.

"Why?"

Rhiannon looked over at Daryl who was staring back at her with a curious expression. "T-Dog said that Rick and Shane had went off to talk before we left." She shrugged, shaking her head when she realized how much of a reach she was making. "It sounds stupid, but I just thought that...maybe…" She trailed off, sighing in defeat when she realized she really didn't even know what she expected.

She hoped Rick would do the right thing but was that really a realistic expectation? Probably not.

Daryl grit his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. Watching her get so worked up about this made him angry, he hated what Shane had done to her and he hated that one asshole could upset her so much. She was a strong woman, her strength had surprised him and kept surprising him with each passing day. He hated that Shane had made her doubt that.

"Don't know 'bout Rick but the others know that Shane's different. Dale came to talk to me before we left, goin' off 'bout Shane." Daryl paused for a moment, "He knows what happened to Otis."

Rhiannon flinched slightly at the mention of her old friend, the man who was practically her uncle. She knew Shane was the one to blame for what happened to him but she couldn't help but feel guilty for that night, she felt like she'd let him down. It was still hard for her to talk to Patricia.

Daryl noticed her reaction immediately and his hands twitched in his lap, wanting desperately to reach out to her but he held back. "Hey, don't even go there." He said softly, making her look over at him. The sadness in her eyes was like a punch to the chest. "It wasn't your fault."

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and bit her lip. "You really think people feel the same way about Shane?"

"Yeah." Daryl replied without hesitation. "The way he's been dealin' with things, the whole barn thing, it ain't hard to see he's changed."

"Do you think Rick will ever see it?"

"Guess we'll find out." He mumbled, tapping his fingers against his legs nervously as they pulled up in front of the farm house, his eyes narrowing as Rick approached the vehicle.

Rhiannon tensed and let out a shaky breath. Daryl gave her a reassuring nod and quickly got out of the car and made his way to open the trunk. He figured he could distract Rick with everything they'd found so Rhiannon didn't have to deal with another one of his bullshit excuses.

"You got everything you needed?" Rick asked, his eyes shifting between the two of them before settling on Daryl after he noticed the hard glare the hunter was giving him. _Jeez, even look at her and he'll make you regret it._

"I appreciate you two goin' out there." He continued, hoping his kind words would be a starting point to getting past the awkwardness between them.

Rhiannon just nodded in response, keeping her gaze down to avoid making eye contact with him. She grabbed the bags from Daryl's hands. "I'm gonna give everyone their stuff." She spoke quietly.

She spared one last look at Daryl, giving him a small smile to let him know her coldness wasn't directed at him. She didn't want him to get paranoid and freak out about their afternoon together.

Daryl nodded slightly, his eyes trailing after her as she walked away.

Rick narrowed his eyes at Daryl. In that moment, the brash man looked years younger with his usually hard features softened as he watched the woman. _Well that's interesting,_ Rick thought to himself, trying not to smile.

Anyone with eyes and a brain could see the chemistry between the two. The way Daryl actually _spoke_ to the woman and made her laugh had floored everyone that saw it. They all found it quite adorable when he would watch her from afar with a lovesick look on his face. Of course they'd never say that out loud though.

Daryl suddenly remembered where he was and who was with him and snapped out of his daze. His harsh glare immediately fell on the leader. "How'd the talk go?" He growled sarcastically.

Rick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shane's denying everything."

Daryl rolled his eyes, not at all surprised. He eyed Rick with scrutiny. "You ain't kickin' him out." He said, not even phrasing it as a question, he knew it wasn't going to happen.

Rick clenched his jaw and shook his head. "I don't know what to do." He spoke quietly, sounding as tired and dejected as he felt.

Daryl looked over at Rick without any malice. He was still pissed but seeing him so burnt out made him ease up. Daryl had to keep reminding himself that Rick wasn't the real enemy, he wasn't the one who hurt Rhiannon.

Thinking about Rhiannon made Daryl deflate slightly and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. She had a glimmer of hope that things could be resolved, that Rick would believe her and do the right thing. He didn't want to be the one to tell her nothing was changing, he didn't want to see the disappointment on her face. He didn't want to see sadness in her bright eyes.

"You keep your eye on Shane every second of the day. He even looks at her and I won't hesitate to kill him." Daryl said darkly, keeping his eyes on Rhiannon as she talked to Lori.

Rick nodded and couldn't help but look in amazement at the fierce protectiveness he saw in the man's eyes. It was unbelievable to think that this was the same person that had attacked him the first time they met. He'd changed so much, had grown so much since they got to the farm.

Rick's eyes followed Daryl's line of sight and landed on Rhiannon. The side of his mouth quirked up slightly. If anyone could do the impossible and get through the hard wall that was Daryl Dixon, it was her.

"I know." Was all he said back.

* * *

Rhiannon rifled through the backpack slung over her shoulder as she walked. She approached Andrea who was sitting in her camp chair sharpening her knife.

When she saw Rhiannon approaching she stiffened and swallowed nervously. After what had happened with Beth hurting herself and Maggie shunning her, Andrea was _not_ looking forward to talking to the protective big sister who carried a fucking sword.

"Hey." Rhiannon smiled warmly catching the woman off guard.

"Hey." Andrea replied, sounding almost confused.

"Here's your stuff." She said, passing her the deodorant and toothpaste she'd picked up for her.

Andrea thanked her and was expecting her to either walk away or start yelling but neither of those things happened. Rhiannon fidgeted on her feet, suddenly looking nervous.

"Look, I know we haven't talked...ever, but Maggie told me what you said to Beth." Rhiannon began awkwardly. It was a heavy subject and she hated thinking back to what her baby sister had almost done.

Andrea tensed and shook her head. "I'm so sorry about that, I can't apologize enough." She said, hoping to defuse the fire before it started.

Rhiannon saw her defensive stature, like she was expecting a fight. "I'm not here to yell at you. I actually wanted to thank you."

Andrea looked up at her in confusion, she was expecting to get punched in the face, not thanked. Rhiannon bit her lip nervously, she had never really spoken to Andrea before and she wasn't that great with new people, especially when they were talking about something so dark. It made them both uncomfortable.

But Rhiannon knew she had lost her little sister and that was something she couldn't ever imagine. She felt bad for the woman and she didn't want Maggie's outburst to make her feel like they all hated her.

"I'm not happy that my little sister cut her wrists open but you were right, she knows she want to live and now she can move on."

Andrea nodded slowly, still looking unconvinced. She remembered when Rhiannon had yelled at her after accidently shooting Daryl so she was more than a little taken aback by her calm and level headed nature now.

Rhiannon sighed, seeing that Andrea wasn't entirely convinced with her words. "I know what that feeling's like, when you wanna give up. I'm sure you know what it's like too and you cared enough to help Beth when she felt it, that's all that matters to me. So thank you for being there for her when I couldn't."

Andrea finally cracked a small smile and looked up at Rhiannon with a softer expression instead of her usual scowl. "She's a good kid."

Rhiannon nodded and smiled softly. She was glad she had talked to Andrea. After Maggie had told her what happened with Beth and what Andrea had told her, she surprisingly wasn't mad. She had a moment when she thought it'd be easier to give up, to stop fighting, so it wasn't all too shocking that sweet, innocent Beth had began to feel the same way after seeing her family massacred.

Rhiannon was just thankful that Beth could move past it now, she knew she wanted to live and she wasn't going to be stewing in her sadness and hatred, she was going to fight.

The two women said their goodbyes and Rhiannon managed to give everyone their stuff without any more soul wrenching conversations. She was walking back to the house when she noticed Carl sitting by the fire pit, looking very agitated. Lori was off giving Shane and Rick their things from town and she thankfully hadn't questioned why _she_ had to give it to them instead of Rhiannon.

Rhiannon was also thankful that Carol hadn't asked any more questions, but the look in the woman's eyes told her that she couldn't hold off the conversation for much longer.

"Hey Buddy, you ok?"

Carl perked up as she sat in front of him and he gave her a shy smile. "Just bored." He responded vaguely.

Rhiannon figured there was something more going on but she decided to ignore it, it wasn't her place to meddle in the kid's life. She tapped her fingers against her thigh, trying to come up with something he could do. She had ruined his game of checkers on account of having no idea what the rules were so that was out of the question.

Carl suddenly smiled widely, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Can you teach me how to use your sword?"

Rhiannon widened her eyes and let out a loud laugh. In the first week that she'd picked up the weapon she'd managed to cut herself at least twenty times, it was difficult to get used to. There was no way she was letting him even hold it. "Uh, I don't think that's a good id-"

"Please! You promised I could." Carl yelled excitedly, practically bouncing in his seat.

Rhiannon sighed, she did promise him but that was when we was laying in bed recovering from a gunshot. She would've said yes to anything at that point. The young boy stared at her and there was no doubt in her mind that he had been practicing his puppy dog eyes. "Your mom's gonna kill me." She mumbled, somewhat surprised that he'd been able to wear her down so easily.

Carl smiled widely and shot up from his seat to throw his arms around her middle. Rhiannon laughed slightly and hugged him back, feeling slightly out of breath from his tight grip.

He let go of her and was practically buzzing with excitement as she pulled the weapon from the sheath across her back. She slowly held it out to him, making sure to point the blade down so no one got accidently stabbed.

Carl's mouth fell open in an excited gasp as she let go of the handle so he was holding it all on his own. "Woah." He mumbled, his wide eyes never leaving the deadly blade that shone in the sun.

Rhiannon smiled widely at the look on his face, she didn't think she'd ever seen a child so happy before.

"Mom, look!"

Rhiannon's smile quickly fell as Carl called out to Lori who almost tripped over her own feet when she was her son holding a sword. "Oh my god." The mother mumbled, rushing over to her son who couldn't have looked prouder. "What are you doing?" She screeched.

The others at camp heard Lori yelling and got up to investigate. They were all thoroughly amused when they saw Carl beaming at his terrified mother.

"Rhiannon promised to teach me." Carl smiled, not really noticing how on edge his mother seemed to be.

Rhiannon ducked her head, pushing her hair in front of her face like she was trying to hide from the angry mother. Lori looked over at the woman blankly who just smiled sheepishly in response.

"He's cute, I couldn't say no to him."

Lori let out a laugh at her answer and ran a hand through her hair. Carl was the happiest she'd seen him in weeks, she couldn't be mad at that, even if seeing him holding the deadly weapon scared the shit out of her.

Rick hid his smile behind his hand, not wanting Lori to be mad at him for condoning his actions. But he had to admit, he was elated to see his son so excited. He looked over at the young blonde woman standing beside his son with a wide smile on her face and his own smile faded into a guilty expression.

He understood why she'd been so short with him earlier but that didn't make it hurt any less. Rick felt terrible that he was the reason why she was so upset. _It's Shane's fault too,_ he reminded himself but that thought just made him feel worse.

He believed Rhiannon and Daryl, Rick had seen first hand how scared the woman had been when they found her, and for weeks she'd cowered from his partner. It wasn't hard to see that something had obviously happened.

So that left one option - Shane was lying to him. Rick looked over at the man he considered to be his brother and frowned deeply. The look of hatred Shane had on his face while he stared at Rhiannon was frightening. Rick had never seen him so cold before.

Rick narrowed his eyes at him, thankful that the man didn't seem to notice he was being watched otherwise he would've tried to hide his distaste and anger towards the innocent woman. Rick then turned to look at Rhiannon who was helping Carl hold her sword.

He couldn't help but smile softly as she burst out laughing as his son began to make lightsaber noises as he swung the weapon around. Rhiannon was a good person through and through, there was nothing fake about her. She didn't sugar coat things to make people feel better, she told them the truth, which was rare even before the world ended.

She had helped him so much over the past few weeks and what he was doing in return was unfair. He needed to make it right, he needed to do something about Shane before he caused anymore hurt towards her.

Rhiannon could feel his gaze on her but she ignored it and kept her focus solely on Carl who was begging her to teach her tricks.

"Can you spin it?"

Rhiannon laughed, she knew how to swing it hard enough to kill walkers, that was it. She wasn't wonder woman...yet. "Why don't you just- Holy fuck!" She yelled, letting out a loud laugh and jumping back as Carl spun towards her, keeping the sword up, almost slicing her face in the process.

She slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing what she'd said in front of the kid. She had to stifle her giggling as she looked at Lori who looked ready to pass out. Her jaw was dropped and she quickly grabbed the sword from Carl's hand who was quietly laughing at Rhiannon. "Ok, that's enough." She said, her stern voice shaking slightly.

"Sorry." He giggled quietly. He was just glad that Rhiannon was laughing and not yelling at him.

Rhiannon's bright smile faded instantly as she looked up and noticed Shane's hard gaze on her. He was vengeful before, she hated to think about what he wanted to do with her now, after she'd exposed him the way she did.

 _Asshole deserved it._

Rhiannon sent him a cold look back making him grit his teeth. It was time to go before the bear got tired of her poking and charged.

She took her sword back and said her quick goodbyes to everyone, making a quick exit.

"What was that about?" Lori asked out loud, wondering why Rhiannon's mood had flipped like a switch, she'd just been laughing ten seconds ago.

Carol kept her eyes on Rhiannon's retreating figure and frowned deeply. Something was going on with her, something bad had happened and she was almost certain that Shane was behind it.

It hurt Carol that Rhiannon had pushed her away earlier that day, that she felt like she couldn't confide in her.

All Carol wanted was for her to be ok.

* * *

Rhiannon enjoyed being alone in her room. She almost never got any time to herself anymore, but she wasn't too thrilled that she was finally getting some just because she was avoiding Shane.

She could hear the front door swinging open as everyone made their way inside. A decision was finally going to be made about their prisoner.

She'd heard that Dale had been asking around, trying to sway people's opinions, and Rhiannon was glad that she'd managed to avoid that. She'd had enough life or death conversations as she could possibly handle in the last couple of days.

She was finishing tidying up her room when she heard soft footsteps and a knock on her half open door.

Daryl poked his head in shyly making her grin widely. She was surprised that he was actually here. He didn't have the best track record of keeping calm when things changed, but she thought back to what he said in town, he wasn't going to pull away like last time. She had to trust that he'd be true to his word.

Daryl stepped into her room slowly, biting at his lip nervously. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries or make the afternoon they shared into more than it was. He wasn't sure how she saw it, but for him, the kiss meant everything. That was him laying all his cards out on the table, letting her know exactly how he felt.

He wanted her to realize that he didn't go around making out with just anybody. She was special to him, more than he ever could've imagined, he just didn't know how to tell her that, or more accurately, didn't have the courage to.

"Hey." She smiled as she stepped closer to him. Daryl just nodded, not wanting to stop biting his lip otherwise his enormous grin would show and embarrass himself.

"You stayin' up here right?"

Rhiannon nodded somewhat dejectedly. She hated that Shane was making her stay away from the group but it's not exactly like she _wanted_ to be apart of this discussion anyway.

"Good." Daryl mumbled and began to fidget on his feet. "What do you think 'bout all this? 'Bout what we should do with the kid?" He asked hesitantly.

Rhiannon paused for a moment, trying to phrase her words carefully. "When we brought him back I said I didn't wanna be responsible for someone's death unless they threatened me. Randall and his group, they aren't good people, you said it yourself. It's not just me that could get hurt - my sisters, my dad,...you. I can't take the risk."

Daryl swallowed thickly, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks from her words. He looked down at his feet, not being able to handle her gaze at that moment, it was too overwhelming and he felt as though he'd pushed the boundaries of his comfort zone enough for today.

"What do you think?" Her question brought him back to reality and he tensed slightly, remembering the conversation he was about to have downstairs that he'd been dreading all day.

Daryl shrugged. "It's like you said, can't take the risk. I gotta protect the people I care about." _Or maybe just one person in particular._

Rhiannon could feel herself beginning to smile and she looked down at her feet, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Daryl could feel himself relax, she was just as shy and nervous as he was about whatever it was they had going on.

"I should get down there." He mumbled and she nodded, both of them trying to ignore the sadness they felt at separating.

Those hours they'd been separated since coming back to the farm had been agonizing. Daryl wanted to be with her every second of the day, he found himself so bored and on edge when she wasn't around. He'd gotten used to her company.

Daryl was amazed by himself, he wasn't cowering from what he felt for her anymore. That kiss they had earlier made him realize that there was no point in hiding from something that was so fucking good.

He wanted her to be his, and some part of him wanted people to know. He didn't want anyone else thinking they had a chance with her. But another, more rational part of him knew that neither of them were ready to flaunt what they had and deal with everyone knowing their business. He wanted this beautiful woman all to himself.

Before Daryl could second guess himself or allow himself to feel shy, he grabbed Rhiannon by the waist and pulled her into him so her chest was flush against his. He leaned down so she wouldn't have to go up on her toes to reach him which he found so fucking adorable.

He kissed her softly and slowly, a contrast to what they were doing in that doctor's office earlier that day. Rhiannon leaned into him and sighed happily, her hands moving up to his neck. Her fingers lightly ran through his hair, she remembered he'd liked that.

Daryl felt a shiver run down his spine at her movements and tightened his grip on her, his lips beginning to move more frantically against her. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Rhiannon accepted immediately and she could've sworn she felt her legs tremble as his tongue invaded her mouth.

Daryl pulled away and swallowed thickly, feeling dazed. "Fuck, I could do this all day." He mumbled against her lips.

Rhiannon grinned widely and tightened her grip on him. "Me too." She whispered and quickly returned back to the heated kiss.

Rhiannon was more than ready to keep going and never stop when suddenly he pulled away from her like he'd been burned and he quickly took at least five steps away from her. She was about to question him when Beth suddenly appeared in her doorway.

"Rhi, what color do you like better?" Her voice slowed and she almost dropped the nail polish in her hands as she noticed the unexpected visitor in her sister's room. Daryl's face was beet red and he awkwardly shifted on his feet. He cursed himself for almost getting them caught, he was just thankful he'd heard the footsteps in time.

"Uhh, red, definitely." Rhiannon replied with a weak smile. Beth nodded and stayed in her place, eyeing Daryl wearily. She remembered when Maggie had told her about Rhiannon and Daryl and Beth honestly couldn't believe it, but the guilty looks on both of their faces were damning evidence.

"I'll see you later." Daryl mumbled softly, sparing her a nervous glance and quickly making his way out of her room. He sighed in relief as he made his way down the stairs to meet the others.

It wasn't until he was among all the tense and anxious faces of his group that his racing heart began to slow but there was nothing that could stray his thoughts from the woman upstairs.

* * *

Maggie leaned her head on Glenn's shoulder and placed her hand on his knee comfortingly. She was glad they'd resolved their issues and that Glenn had been man enough to not let the new relationship freak him out.

She felt bad for what had happened inside during the talk, she knew Glenn felt bad for not having Dale's back on the issue.

The door creaked open beside her making her crane her neck to see who it was. Maggie suddenly sprang up when she realized it was her big sister.

"Hey." Rhiannon smiled shyly, already regretting her decision to come outside when she saw the questioning looks on both Maggie and Glenn's faces.

"Where the hell were you? Why weren't you down here?" Maggie interrogated, not liking the quiet demeanor her sister was carrying with her, it was so unlike Rhiannon to not get involved and have her opinion heard.

Rhiannon winced at the intensity in Maggie's eyes. She didn't know how long she could keep this charade up. Surely people would start to notice if everywhere Shane was, she wasn't. "It's been a long day, I just needed to rest." She said vaguely.

"Well, we all missed you. We definitely could've used you to get Shane off his high horse." Glenn interjected, not noticing the way Rhiannon went pale at his words. Maggie certainly did though.

"Hey, you ok?" She grabbed Rhiannon's hand, holding tightly as she looked up at her with worry filled eyes.

"Yeah, just tired." Rhiannon brushed her off and turned away from their prying eyes to look out onto the field that was bathed in moonlight. "Is it done?" She asked quietly.

"I dunno. Haven't heard a gunshot." Glenn responded just as quietly, feeling guilty that he'd agreed to killing the kid even though he knew it was the right decision.

The silence that surrounded the three of them was tense, no one knew what to say. They hadn't realized just how much the world had changed until this moment. They'd been isolated on the farm for so long, they'd forgotten the horrors that lie beyond it.

Maggie started at her sister's back with a furrowed brow. Something was up with her and like as history repeats itself, she knew the chances of Rhiannon coming clean were slim. Glenn noticed her worry and grabbed her hand in his. He squeezed, letting her know he was there for her and gave her a weak smile.

He'd also noticed something was off about Rhiannon but it definitely wasn't his place to bring it up so he kept quiet.

A loud yell suddenly broke the quiet of the night, startling all three of them. Before any of them could comprehend just what was happening, Rhiannon bolted off the porch and started running.

"Rhiannon!" Maggie yelled to her, fear striking her as she watched her sister run towards the danger.

"What the hell was that?" Glenn asked nervously, hurrying down the steps.

"I don't know, go!" Maggie yelled before running back inside to get her father.

Rhiannon slowed her pace so Glenn could catch up. "Do you know where it came from?" She asked, panting slightly. They looked over and noticed the rest of the group running.

The two of them spared nervous looks before taking off to follow after them. Rhiannon felt her heart jump when she recognized the familiar angel wings. She sighed in relief, he was ok. It wasn't until she noticed the expression on his face that her nerves rushed back in full force. She stepped forward and felt her breath leave her in a heavy gasp.

Her eyes clenched shut tightly after seeing Dale lying in the grass, his stomach ripped open. Images of her last day in New York flashed in her mind. The helpless child that lay ripped apart assaulted her memories violently, like a torturous slideshow.

Beside her, Glenn stumbled, nearly knocking her over. Rhiannon grabbed onto his arm tightly as his legs almost gave out. His watering eyes made her own sting with tears.

"What happened?" Her father asked, his voice heavy with worry that was only slightly calmed by the sight of his daughter who he was told ran head first into danger.

Rick suddenly turned to face her, his eyes wild like she'd never seen before. "You picked up medical supplies on the run, right?" He rushed, his voice trembling like the way his hands did.

Rhiannon nodded with wide eyes and looked over to her dad so he could tell her what to get. Hershel just sighed and shook his head, looking away so he didn't have to see the defeated expression on his daughter's face.

Suddenly, the crying and the shouting around her dissipated into the background, like the white noise of a fan. Rhiannon stumbled backwards, wishing she were anywhere else but here. She could hear the cries and screams of those poor parents, the growls of the walker that feasted on the little girl, Dale's screams of pain, all echoing in her mind.

She let out panting gasps and placed a hand over her racing heart, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to hold onto the one last sliver of calmness she had so she didn't fall into a full fledged panic attack.

She felt hands on her shoulders making her jump and she was startled out of her daze, she could now hear everyone's cries making her wince. She turned her head and saw Carol, her face contorted as she tried hard not to cry. Even through the grief on her face, Rhiannon could see the older woman's concern for her.

Carol put her arm around Rhiannon's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She could feel the young woman tremble against her which made her tighten her grip. Carol could see her resolve slipping and she knew Rhiannon wasn't the kind of person who showed her emotions in front of others, at least not ones as extreme as these. She knew she wouldn't appreciate everyone seeing her panicking.

Rhiannon felt herself panicking once again as she saw Daryl take the gun from Rick's shaking hands and aim at Dale's forehead. She turned her head and buried it against Carol's chest, like a scared child would do with their mother, and much like Carl was doing with Lori.

The two women jumped at the sound of the gunshot and held onto each other tightly. Carol placed her hand against the back of Rhiannon's head and began to lightly thread her fingers through her long hair, wanting to provide any kind of comfort she could.

Carol locked eyes with Maggie who stared at her sister in the older woman's arms with confusion and worry. That made Carol feel a little better, knowing she wasn't paranoid or seeing things about they way Rhiannon had been acting lately.

Rhiannon pulled away from Carol, not wanting people to see her like that. Glenn stomped off, quickly followed by Maggie as Andrea stayed by Dale's side, quietly crying. Lori cradled Carl against her as she ushered him back to their tent. Rick, Daryl, Shane, and Hershel stayed where they were, discussing what was to be done with Dale's body.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, not liking that Shane was near her, but right now that was the last thing she was worried about. She stepped forward cautiously and placed her hand on Daryl's arm.

He immediately flinched and turned his head rapidly, sending a glare back that fell instantly when he saw it was her, but his face was still hardened and cold.

Rhiannon removed her hand and took a step back, ready to walk away and let him be when his hand shot out and grasped her wrist. He pulled her slightly towards him and held her hand in his much bigger one.

Rhiannon relaxed instantly, sighing in relief that he wasn't pushing her away.

Daryl squeezed her hand, giving her all the hope she needed that he had meant what he said earlier that day. He was all in and so was she.

* * *

 **Can't believe we're at chapter 20!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I was so giddy to write this, the feedback I got on the last chapter made me smile so much!**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review xx**


	21. Chapter 21

The sun shone brightly and the birds sang happily, not at all fitting for what they were doing. Each member of the group felt a heavy weight on their shoulders following Dale's death. They listened to Rick's uplifting eulogy, but even that did little to boost morale.

Rhiannon could feel many pairs of eyes on her. Maggie looked at her with the same worry she'd had last night. Carol looked at her with empathy, she was more than a little concerned after her almost panic attack last night. Both of them knew something was going on with her and they weren't very subtle about it.

Daryl kept sneaking glances at her throughout the funeral and every once in awhile they would make eye contact. They were worried about each other. Daryl had seen her in Carol's arm, an expression he'd never seen on her face before. He never thought he'd ever see that kind of fear from her.

And Daryl had been the one to end it for Dale, Rhiannon knew he wouldn't be taking it lightly, that he'd be carrying that guilt for a long time. They were both too damn similar for their own good.

His eyes moved from her and back to Shane. It was like a natural reflex whenever the two of them were within twenty feet of each other. Daryl doubted Shane would be stupid enough to try anything with everyone around, but the looks he sent his girl were enough for Daryl to put a number on his head.

Daryl stiffened slightly at his thoughts. _His girl._ Was she his girl? Is that what he wanted? He inwardly scoffed at his stupidity for that thought. Of course he wanted her to be his, but is that what she wanted? He knew he could be a dick and emotionally stupid, but would she be willing to look past that?

He hoped more than anything she would.

He felt his heart beat faster, he'd never in his life before even considered letting someone in, letting someone get under his skin like she had. It was new and terrifying but he knew it was worth it. His lack of confidence or experience didn't matter, all that did matter was _her._

Everyone began to filter out as the funeral ended. Rhiannon noticed Rick giving her a strange look, like he wanted to speak with her but he hesitated, looking nervous as he shifted on his feet. He audibly sighed and looked down at his shoes, making a quick exit shortly after.

Rhiannon didn't know if she was glad or not that he decided not to approach her. She considered Rick a friend before everything happened and it hurt that they haven't spoken about what happened, but Rhiannon knew she would only get upset if the did. It wouldn't turn out the way she would want it to.

"Rhiannon."

She snapped out of her thoughts and turned, seeing Daryl standing a few feet away from her. She wanted to laugh at him. They had to keep up appearances so no one caught onto what they were doing, but she was sure him standing that far away would probably only draw more suspicion.

"You alright?" He asked, it had taken a couple of tries before he had finally gotten her attention and after everything that had happened last night, he doubted it was light hearted thoughts running through her head.

Rhiannon just nodded in response, a shy smile on her face, she would never get tired of hearing her name come out of his mouth.

Daryl eyed her carefully. He knew she wasn't about to open up and spill everything on her mind, at least not out in the open with everyone around. So he accepted her half assed nod and moved on. "We're goin' out to check the fences, find where that walker came from, you in?"

At that exact moment, Andrea and Shane walked by the two of them to get to Otis' blue pickup. Rhiannon frowned, knowing there was no way she'd be going now. Daryl's shoulders sagged and he sent a glare to Shane's back as he walked.

She couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the scowl on Daryl's face. "Come find me after." She said with a sly smile, feeling quite triumphant at the blush she'd put on his cheeks. She would never be able to explain how satisfying it was to her that _she_ had made the big bad hunter blush and smile.

"Daryl! You comin' or not, man?" Shane yelled from the open driver's side window.

Daryl just glared back at the man, a low growl leaving his lips. He turned back to Rhiannon. "See you soon?"

She nodded, her eyes flickering from Daryl and back to Shane whose eyes hadn't left her. She felt violated just from his stare, it was revolting. Rhiannon knew Daryl could see her agitation and the leering gaze Shane had on her didn't go unnoticed by him either.

He clenched his fists and readied himself to go pull Shane out of the car and beat him to death. That bastard had been given too many chances and Daryl was ready to end it all.

"Try not to kill him." Rhiannon mumbled. She knew it would make her life easier if Daryl killed him but she'd rather the group not hate him for murdering one of their own.

"Can't promise anything." Daryl growled. He turned his head back towards her, giving her one last look. His eyes moved from her eyes down to her lips but no matter how much he was dying for it, he had to hold off in front of everyone.

Daryl wouldn't doubt that Rhiannon would kick his ass for doing something stupid like outing them, so he settled for a small smile which made her blush and he finally got to be the triumphant one.

Rhiannon watched as he made his way to the car and hopped in the back next to T-Dog. She sighed, feeling like a kid who wasn't allowed dessert after dinner. She didn't know how long she could keep this secret, it had been one day and it was already driving her crazy.

* * *

Carol leaned against the counter in the kitchen with her arms crossed. A sarcastic grin spread on her face as Rhiannon walked into the kitchen and stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with surprise.

A feeling of dread overcame Rhiannon. She felt like a teenager getting caught sneaking out by her mother. Carol may be quiet but she sure as hell was persistent when she wanted something. And Rhiannon knew she would not give this up.

"Tea?" Carol offered sweetly. Rhiannon nodded slowly, seeing right through her gesture. Carol handed her one of the two mugs that lay on the counter making the younger woman narrow her eyes, she realized Carol had been waiting for her.

Rhiannon took a long sip of her drink, trying her best to delay the inevitable. "I'm sorry we haven't talked since...everything happened." She waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to reiterate the massacre at the barn.

"That's ok. It seems likes a lot's happened since then, hasn't it?" Carol said, giving Rhiannon a knowing look that made her swallow nervously. "I mean, you were ignoring Daryl but now you're close again, closer than before even. And you and Shane, you've been weird around him, but it's different now, you don't even go near him."

Rhiannon sank into a chair at the table and let out a pitiful laugh. "You sure you weren't a detective before all this?" She scoffed.

Carol just smirked in response and sat down across from her. "Honey, you know you can tell me whatever's bothering you." She said, finally ditching her interrogative approach as she reached out to grab her hand comfortingly.

Rhiannon stayed silent though, keeping her eyes cast down. Carol tensed slightly as her mind ran wild with thoughts. "Is it…" Her eyes trailed down and she winced slighty. The words were left up in the air but somehow Rhiannon knew what she meant. _Her scars._ "Did Shane see them? Is that why you're so tense around him?"

Rhiannon felt like laughing. Carol didn't even know the half of it. Yes, Shane had seen her scars, he'd seen them as he was trying to take off her shirt while he was groping her unwillingly. Just thinking that made Rhiannon realize how clueless Carol was, how clueless the rest of them were. They had no idea just how terrible things really were and Rhiannon did _not_ want to be the one to shatter that.

"Why are we even talking about me? I've been worried about _you._ Jesus Carol, after everything's that happened, I don't understand how you're still standing." Rhiannon stressed, desperate to get the attention off of her, but she really was worried about Carol, she hadn't been there for the grieving mother like she should have.

Carol smiled sadly, touched at her concern for her. "I lost my daughter, I'm doing as well as you'd expect. I'm devastated and I cry every night, but I can't let it stop me."

"How?"

Carol paused, wondering if she should even say what she wanted to say. She knew it would embarrass Rhiannon. "I saw you at the barn, you were traumatized, but that very same day you got off your ass and you went into town to get your dad back. You don't let tragedy keep you down. And I can't tell you how much I admire that, how much I envy that."

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath, knowing Carol's words went so much deeper than just what happened at the barn. Both of them had been abused and had come out the other side. Carol had told her she wished she'd been like her, able to get out of the toxic relationship before it was too late.

"You don't things keep you down. You even went out yesterday for the good of the group."

Rhiannon scoffed. "Yeah, that really helped a lot." She spat sarcastically. Carol gave her a questioning look, now worrying that she was beginning to slip off the edge again. "I went out there to get medical supplies so if someone got hurt, we could help them and they'd be ok." Her voice cracked and tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered last night.

Carol was struck by her words and how upset she looked and she squeezed her hand tightly. "Sweetheart, you can't honestly tell me that you feel guilty about what happened to Dale."

"I know it wasn't my fault, I just...to see him laying there - and there was nothing anyone could do...I just-" She breathed heavily, burying her head in her hands. "The night I left New York, I saw a little girl get killed by a walker. She was ripped open just like he was." She blurted out making Carol gasp quietly.

This wasn't the kind of confession Carol had been hoping for or expecting when she sought out the younger woman. She didn't think she was all too happy to know either. She was glad Rhiannon was getting it off her chest, but it made Carol feel sick thinking about what the poor girl had witnessed all on her own.

Rhiannon wiped at her eyes frantically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to explode like that." She said quietly, feeling embarrassed that this wasn't even the second time Carol had seen her breakdown.

"Don't ever apologize for that." Carol told her firmly but with that same motherly tone she had that made Rhiannon's heart ache for a comfort she'd longed for ever since her own mother had passed.

"I know you're trying to get dirt outta me." Rhiannon stated bluntly making Carol wince slightly. "I know you're worried about me, but I just don't wanna talk about it yet."

Carol nodded thoughtfully, suddenly feeling bad that she'd tried to corner the woman to get her to spill. Her first thought was that Rhiannon had been caught in some sort of love triangle. Shane had stared at her like a piece of meat but she only had eyes for Daryl who certainly only had eyes for her too. But Carol knew that the problem must have been so much worse to make Rhiannon so tense and on edge all the time.

"I get it. Just know I'm always here when you're ready."

Rhiannon smiled at the older woman. She really felt like Carol was her second mother, she certainly acted like it. She'd seen her scars, the only person other than the asshole that gave them to her to see them, well despite Shane but she didn't want to think about that.

She knew she could trust Carol with her life and she was so grateful for that.

* * *

Daryl heaved another box into the hatch of the truck, thankful that most of the heavy lifting was done. The whole gang was finally moving into the house and while Daryl was excited that he'd be closer to Rhiannon, he couldn't help but miss their time alone at his secluded camp.

Granted, they weren't the way they are now when they were there, but it was just nice to sit there and talk without anyone interrupting or watching. And it would be even harder to get alone time or sneak around with fifteen people in one house.

The sound of a familiar laugh caught his attention and he perked up like a dog who heard a dinner bell. His eyes roamed the crowd of people that filtered back and forth from the house until he spotted her.

Rhiannon walked next to Beth as they carried the boxes in. She felt like a piece of the two tonne weight on her shoulders had been chipped away. The conversation she'd had with Carol made her feel just a little bit hopeful. It felt good to talk about why she'd been so messed up the night before and Carol reminded her of her mother, which always made her feel at peace.

Beth tripped again, nearly dropping the box making Rhiannon snort out a laugh.

"Stop." Beth whined, trying not to laugh herself.

Daryl watched from his spot at the truck, his lip quirked upwards as she laughed with her sister. He was glad she had let go of whatever had been plaguing her that morning.

"Is that everything?"

Daryl flinched, startled by the sudden voice beside him. Hershel stood next to him, a constraint smile on his face, like he knew all the desires running through Daryl's brain that involved his eldest daughter.

Daryl cleared his throat, feeling a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Yeah, think that's everything." He mumbled, avoiding the farmer's intense gaze.

Hershel didn't like the way the man had looked at his daughter, well if he was being honest with himself, he didn't like when _any_ man looked at any of his daughters.

But he felt somewhat conflicted by Rhiannon's relationship with the hunter. Whenever they were together, Rhiannon was always smiling and looking more relaxed than he'd seen her in a long time, probably since before she had moved to New York.

And Daryl had gone with her into town yesterday, he knew the man looked after her and protected her, he certainly did at the barn too.

But Daryl wasn't what Hershel had expected for his baby girl. A man on a motorcycle was every father's nightmare and he thought the man could do with an attitude adjustment.

But thinking back, Daryl had never given Hershel a reason to be weary. Other than the fact that he'd stolen his horse, but he'd done that to go look for a lost child, Hershel couldn't condemn him for that.

"I wanted to thank you for going out there yesterday, for looking out for Rhiannon." Hershel spoke, stunning Daryl into silence.

Daryl sputtered for a moment, feeling like this was a test of some sort. He knew getting the father's approval was important but he also knew Rhiannon was going to do whatever the hell she wanted, including slumming it with him, no matter what her dad thought.

"She actually looked out for me, saved my life yesterday."

Hershel looked at him in surprise. "Is that so?"

Daryl nodded. "She's a strong girl." He said, his eyes finding hers across the field.

Rhiannon couldn't help but feel worried at the sight of her father talking to Daryl. She doubted he'd be giving him 'the Dad speech' when he doesn't know for sure what's going on between them, but she was still nervous as hell.

Daryl gave her a quick smile putting her at ease. Hershel turned and found his daughter's gaze and she immediately looked away, not wanting to be caught making eyes with Daryl, let alone by her own father.

Hershel smiled softly and turned his attention back to Daryl. He wanted to give the man a warning, threaten him not to hurt his baby girl like any other father would do, but somehow he knew he wouldn't need to. Not with Daryl.

Hershel had a feeling the man would sooner die than hurt his daughter and that alone made whatever was going on between them bearable.

* * *

Rick and Daryl leaned over the road map as they planned out their route. Both men were practically giddy to get this whole situation dealt with. If Rick had known the kid would cause this much trouble he would've just left him in town.

The door to the farm house creaked open and the familiar wavy golden blonde hair stepped out. "You guys heading out?" Rhiannon asked, focusing her attention on Daryl rather than Rick which the cop surely noticed making him frown.

"Takin' him out to Senoia, an hour there, hour back." Rick spoke up, causing her eyes to drift towards him.

"Think you'll make it back before dark?"

"Probably not, but it'll be close enough."

"This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory." Daryl said making Rhiannon huff out a laugh. She knew he was practically itching to get this over with.

Rhiannon bit her lip nervously before stepping forward to look at the map that was laid down between the two men. "Make sure you avoid Adler Drive, last I saw, the whole road was blocked by a pile up."

"You went by it on your way back here?" Rick asked and immediately regretted it by the way she had tensed up. Those weeks on her own were not ones she liked to talk about.

"Yeah." She replied quietly. "Take this back road here. It'll only be ten more minutes."

"Thanks." Rick smiled warmly at her, feeling quite proud at the small smile he'd managed to receive from her. "You could come with us if you want. We could always use more eyes out there."

Daryl scowled at Rick and his body chilled like he had ice running through his veins. He didn't want her out there more than she needed to be. They'd gone out yesterday and that was about all he could handle.

"I should probably stay here, make sure all the slackers stay in line."

Rick chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks again."

Rhiannon nodded, feeling slightly encouraged by his kind attitude. Rick had always been a sweetheart and she knew she was being quite ridiculous acting so cold towards him like _he_ was the one that hurt her. It was probably time for her to drop the bitch act and be civil.

"Hey, that thing you did last night…" Rick spoke up, stopping Rhiannon's train of thought. She suddenly felt like she was intruding on their conversation. The heaviness of his voice made her take a small step back.

"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting." Daryl responded, keeping his eyes solely on Rick and not Rhiannon who he knew was looking at him. If Rick were to mention something this emotional a month ago, Daryl would've lashed out and stormed off, telling him to mind his own business or to get over it and stop being a pussy.

He'd definitely changed for the better and he knew exactly why.

The three of them turned their attention to the car that pulled up in front of the house and they all simultaneously tensed as Shane stepped out and began to walk towards them.

"You wanna come get the stuff for the kid?" Rhiannon offered to Daryl who eagerly nodded and jumped off the ledge he was sitting on. He grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her inside before Shane had even reached the porch steps and slammed the door and locked it behind them.

"I really don't think that's necessary." Rhiannon told him, trying to hide her amusement at his overreacting.

Daryl just shrugged in response and headed towards the backpack that laid ready for them to take. He could feel her eyes on his back and smirked, he turned, ready to tease her but his eyes narrowed at the look on her face.

She was biting her nail and fidgeting on her feet.

"What's wrong? That bastard do something?!" He yelled, fearing the worst. She'd closed up as soon as Shane had gotten close, he could only assume what that meant. He raked his brain, trying to figure out when Shane could have possibly found the time to hurt her again.

"No! I've been ten feet away from you the whole day."

Daryl calmed slightly, now feeling embarrassed. "Sorry." He mumbled, looking around the room to make sure no one had been alerted to his outburst, but they were thankfully still alone.

"It's about last night. It's bothering you - what you had to do."

Daryl stiffened and looked away as he began to gnaw on his lip. Rhiannon sighed and stepped closer to him, grabbing his hand to keep him from bolting. "You didn't do anything wrong, and I know you can tell yourself that a million times but it means nothing when it comes to feeling guilty, but I just hope you know that it's true." She told him honestly.

Daryl nodded slowly, letting her words sink in.

"Otis wasn't my fault and Dale isn't yours."

More of the weight on her shoulders chipped away as she spoke. Daryl looked up at her with an expression she'd never seen him have before. She couldn't tell if he was touched or surprised by her, or maybe both.

"Thanks." He said gruffly.

Rhiannon smiled widely and moved closer so their chests were touching. Daryl swallowed nervously and craned his neck from side to side to make sure that they were still alone. Rhiannon rolled her eyes playfully, he was so paranoid it was actually pretty cute to see him like that.

She decided she didn't want to wait and quickly placed a kiss on his lips, surprising the hell out of him. It was so quick, he longed for more. _Could kiss her for hours and still want more,_ he thought to himself.

"You should get going before Rick leaves without you." She smiled teasingly, revelling in the lustful look in his eyes.

"He can wait." Daryl mumbled and before she could say anything else, he crashed his lips to hers fiercely, his hands framing her face.

Rhiannon suppressed her smile and kissed him back with just as much need as he felt. They both felt like they'd been deprived, having barely any contact all day.

Daryl realized that he had become an addict, and it was the only kind he would be proud to be. He never wanted this to end, he actually felt like he might collapse in despair if she were to pull away from him, but he also felt like he would collapse if they kept going. They way she kissed him was hypnotic and left him aching for more.

* * *

Rhiannon looked out the window, hoping to see a familiar figure in the dark of the night. She sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead, she didn't know how it had all gone wrong in just a couple of hours.

She'd snuck Daryl up to her room so they wouldn't get caught in the middle of the dining room and they'd ended up making out on her bed like a couple of teenagers. It wasn't until they heard yelling that they had finally broken away from each other and the blissful, carefree fantasy they'd created was shattered as they were dragged back into the real world.

Rhiannon knew Shane was full of shit. Randall had 'escaped' and Rick, Daryl, and Glenn had gone with Shane to find him.

No matter how happy it made Rhiannon to see Shane bloody, she couldn't ignore the fear that seeped through her every nerve. The door was still locked, and Randall wasn't even that much taller than her, the odds of him escaping like houdini and knocking the muscular ex cop out was almost as impossible as him thinking he had a chance with her, it was absolutely laughable.

"Any sign of them?" Carol asked, taking a seat next to her to get a look out the window.

Rhiannon shook her head. "Not yet." She responded quietly, her worry clearly evident in her voice.

Carol nudged her shoulder with hers. "He'll be fine." She whispered, smirking victoriously at the blush she saw spreading on the young woman's face.

"Will you stop." Rhiannon muttered, only making Carol smile wider. A small laugh escaped her, she really underestimated Carol, she had no idea the woman was so vigilant.

"Where did the two of you disappear to this afternoon?"

"Oh, we were making out, hard. Probably would've had sex if we didn't get interrupted." Rhiannon responded sarcastically even though it was the honest truth.

Carol obviously bought it too and snorted, shaking her head. Now it was Rhiannon's turn to smirk victoriously, she just made sure to turn her head so Carol didn't see and decipher the look which Rhiannon knew she would.

* * *

Daryl walked steadily through the forest, all he wanted was to get back to the farmhouse before Shane did. He didn't know what the man had planned but he knew it wasn't good. Glenn trailed behind the hunter, almost jogging to keep up with his rapid pace.

"I don't get it, why would Shane lie?"

Daryl stayed silent, he really didn't feel like now was the right time to unload the very long list of things Shane had done wrong.

"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, I kinda had a feeling he was slipping, he's been acting so strange." Glenn continued to ramble, not noticing the annoyed look etched on Daryl's face. "And the way he is with Rhiannon, I mean what the hell is that about?"

Daryl's stride faltered at the mention of the woman he was worrying about. Glenn gave him a questioning look to which Daryl just sent him his signature glare. They two men kept walking, this time Glenn had a small smirk on his face. Maggie had given him a lot of dirt about the hunter and her older sister. He didn't believe it at first, he never pictured Daryl as a boyfriend, and Rhiannon was so friendly and funny, it just didn't make sense to him.

But on the other hand, Glenn was pretty intimidated by her that first week at the farm, much like the way he was still very intimidated by Daryl. They were both headstrong fighters, maybe it wasn't all that crazy.

"You know, I think it's awesome that you and Rhiannon found each other."

Daryl stiffened and turned to face Glenn with a look that made him flinch and smile sheepishly. "What?" Daryl growled.

Glenn shrugged, regretting opening his mouth. He figured since Maggie had known about them that Rhiannon had told her and that it was public knowledge. Apparently it wasn't. "Uhh, I mean, it's kinda obvious that you two are…" He trailed off, knowing he was just digging himself a deeper hole the longer he spoke.

Daryl was about to start yelling at Glenn to mind his own damn business when the crack of a gunshot startled both of them. They looked at each other, each with mild expressions of fear and not a second later they took off running towards the house.

Rhiannon was the only thing on his mind. If Shane had laid a finger on her, had hurt one hair on her head, he was ending him once and for all. Shane had hurt her too many times and Daryl had let it slide too many times. He was ending it.

The two of them burst through the door to the house, starling everyone that sat around the living room. Rhiannon stood from her spot at the window and looked back at him with wide eyes, suddenly fearing why he looked so worried.

Daryl instantly relaxed the second he saw her, she was fine, nothing had happened. Rhiannon noticed his sigh of relief and the unclenching of his body, leaving a sad smile on her face. He was worried about her, worried that gunshot had been for her.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl spoke casually, suddenly remembering all the eyes in the room. "We heard a shot?"

"Maybe they found Randall?"

"We found him. He was a walker." Daryl's eyes found Rhiannon's once again and she knew immediately what he was trying to say. She was right, Shane had lied.

Rhiannon drowned out the conversation and fell back into her thoughts. She had been right all along. She worried that Rick wasn't seeing how his friend was changing, and knowing the situation with Lori, she knew it would come back to bite him in the ass. Shane wasn't stable to begin with, but throwing in jealousy just makes it a thousand times worse.

She had tried to warn Rick, tell him that he was being naive, that Shane was different than he used to be. She had hoped her situation would've been enough to make him realize but apparently it wasn't and now he was out there alone with the most deranged man she'd ever met.

"Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what's going on?" Lori pleaded.

Daryl nodded. "You got it."

"I'm going too." Rhiannon spoke up, grabbing her sword and slinging it across her back. Daryl turned to her, his eyes widening with both fear and irritation.

Rhiannon just raised an eyebrow, silently saying 'you really wanna argue with me?' Daryl just sighed and tilted his head, knowing there was no way of winning an argument when she was determined to do something.

Rhiannon tried to hide her smile as she followed him outside, she didn't want to gloat. Daryl held the door open for her and she walked through, her body instantly freezing with terror as she looked out to the open fields.

Hundreds of bodies ambled slowly towards the house, drawn in by the light. Her eyes scanned from left to right, there were too many to count.

She turned to look at Daryl whose hardened scowl confirmed that she wasn't dreaming and she really had seen all those walkers coming right for them. Daryl looked down at her and his scowl morphed into a look of determination.

His hand snuck down and reached for hers, squeezing tightly. Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and looked back at the herd. "Fuck."

* * *

 **So overwhelmed by the feedback and support I've gotten on this story. You guys are honestly so amazing and you motivate me so much!**

 **Finally got around to the playlist, feel like I'm missing a ton of songs but here they are :**

 **Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks & Don Henley (duh)**

 **Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac (again..duh)**

 **Pusher - alt -j**

 **Hurt - Johnny Cash**

 **Going To California - Led Zeppelin**

 **Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby - Cigarettes After Sex**

 **Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan**

 **Girl From the North Country - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash**

 **Save Yourself - Kaleo**

 **Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd**

 **I Know Places - Lykke Li**

 **I definitely recommend you check out the songs, they are some of my favourites, especially the last one. Thanks again for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter xx**


	22. Chapter 22

Daryl had regretfully let go of her hand as everyone crowded behind them to see the herd coming their way.

Lori couldn't find Carl, and she had gone off with Carol to go look for him. Rhiannon wanted to go with them and make sure he was ok but she felt paralyzed, she couldn't force her feet to move or tear her eyes away from the hundreds of dead people that wanted to kill them.

The bag of guns was dropped at her feet, snapping her out of her daze and she reached down to pick one up, checking the amount of ammo it had.

"You can go if you want." She heard her dad say and she turned to face Daryl with a shocked look.

Daryl spared a brief look at her and looked back up at her father with slightly wide eyes. "You gonna take 'em all on?" He asked in disbelief.

"We have guns. We have cars." Hershel stated simply, cocking his shotgun.

Rhiannon widened her eyes and gave her dad an inquisitive look. She was glad and a little shocked by his willingness to fight now. She couldn't even imagine what would've happened if this herd came by two weeks ago, they'd all have been doomed.

"Kill as many as we can, and we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm."

Rhiannon slowly nodded at Andrea's suggestion. It sounded like a good enough plan but it felt too good to be true, like it was too easy. If being on the road alone had taught her anything it was that if it felt easy, it probably wasn't the right choice.

"You serious?" Daryl chimed in again, his doubt clearly heard by the tone of his voice.

"Don't really have another choice." Rhiannon mumbled.

"This is my farm. I'll die here."

Rhiannon gave her dad an exasperated look. That was the last thing she wanted to hear, it didn't exactly boost her confidence.

"All right. 'S as good a night as any." Daryl said, climbing over the porch railing and jumping down to the ground. He turned, just about to hold out his hand so he could help Rhiannon down when she suddenly landed on her feet right next to him.

A smirk cracked his surprised features making her smile in that mischievous way that drove him wild.

"Be careful." He told her seriously, both of their smiles fading fast at the sound of the walker's groans.

"You too."

Daryl kept his eyes locked with hers as he walked backwards, he felt like this was the worst time to leave her, the worst time to not have her by his side. He gave her one last nod to which she just nodded back, giving him one last reassuring smile before he took off to get his bike.

Rhiannon took in a deep breath and aimed her gun at the stumbling crowd that was slowly getting closer. She took shot after shot, not even keeping track of how many she'd taken down or how many shots she'd let off.

Hershel stepped up beside his eldest daughter and together the two of them took down the walkers that invaded their home. Rhiannon turned her head and met her father's gaze. They smiled endearingly at each other before both letting out small chuckles, who would've thought this could be a bonding moment?

But it truly was for them. The last time Rhiannon held a gun was at the barn, when her father had all but broken her heart for doing it.

They'd come a long way since then.

Only a minute later Rhiannon's gun clicked in protest when she pulled the trigger, it was empty. She grit her teeth and silently cursed. "We don't have enough ammo for this."

Hershel reached into his pocket to hand her her some more bullets but she shook her head and pulled her sword off her back.

"Make sure they don't get too close." She yelled over her shoulder to her horrified father who could only watch as his first daughter walked confidently into the oncoming herd.

Hershel watched in fascination as Rhiannon swung and stabbed violently. He had seen her twirl effortlessly on her pointe shoes with a grace most people could only dream of having and the way she killed was no different. She twirled as she swung, making it look like a dance as heads rolled at her feet.

Rhiannon didn't know how long she'd been going, she panted with effort but she wouldn't allow herself to slow down.

The flames that consumed the barn behind her only made her swing harder and faster. Her home was being destroyed. She had spent so much of her childhood hating this place, wishing she were anywhere else. It wasn't until she was hundreds of miles away and alone that she realized how much this place meant to her, how much her family meant to her.

And it was going up in flames.

"Oh fuck." She mumbled out of breath as the crowd surrounding her got bigger. She swung mightily, clearing a path so she could escape.

The rumble of a motorcycle sounded, making every ounce of her fear diminish. Rapid shots rang out and the bodies around her dropped. She looked up in shock and let out a breathless laugh as she saw Daryl aggressively shoot the walkers that were too close to her.

Daryl had been equally terrified and amazed when he saw her fighting. He couldn't believe that little thing could fight so well but seeing the crowd that formed around her had spurred him into action.

Rhiannon smiled despite the horrors around her and began to make her way towards him when suddenly the headlights of Maggie's car blinded her briefly. She watched in shock as the car spun and the tires shrieked as they sped off.

She was leaving.

Daryl ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You alright?" He asked frantically, his eyes roaming up and down her body. Despite the black blood splattered on the sleeves of her jacket, she was fine and he sighed in relief.

"They left." She whispered vacantly, staring at the spot she'd seen her sister leave from.

"I know, we gotta go."

"What? Daryl I can't-"

"Get your shit, get in your car and go. Go to the highway and I'll meet you there." He told her sternly, now holding her face in his hands.

"I can't leave!" She yelled frantically, her heart racing. She couldn't be out on the road again, she couldn't face it.

"You have to!" Daryl yelled fearfully. "Get your dad and go."

Rhiannon stared up at him with wide eyes. She took in a shaky breath and nodded slowly, the determination she saw in his eyes were enough to give her a semblance of courage.

Daryl smashed his lips to hers, kissing her fiercely. Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, reveling in the moment of passion that couldn't have come at a worse time. She gripped onto his forearms like she never wanted to let go.

He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'll find you. I swear to god, I'll find you." He pleaded to her and to himself. He would never forgive himself if he failed, if this were the last time he got to be with her and hold her.

Rhiannon nodded and kissed him quickly one last time. She spared him one last lingering gaze and she took off towards the house.

Daryl watched her go, his body trembling slightly. He _would_ find her. She'd meet him at the highway or he'd tear apart the whole country to find her.

Rhiannon ran as fast as she could, dodging the decaying arms that reached out for her, desperate to get a piece of her.

Her steps faltered and she stopped in her tracks. There was a feeding frenzy just in front of the house. She could see the crowd of bodies that eagerly tore into flesh, their hands stained red.

They'd lost someone. One of them didn't make it.

Her brain ran a mile a minute, coming up with the worst possibilities. _Please god, don't let it be Beth._

Loud panting gasps left her mouth that she tried to quiet as she snuck around the crowd. They were busy with the meal in front of them and thankfully hadn't noticed her, giving her the perfect path to the house.

"Dad!" She yelled to him but he was focused on his shooting and didn't even spare a glance back at her. Rhiannon wanted to scream and curse until she ran out of breath, this was like a living nightmare.

She sprinted into the house, tripping over the bags that have been left behind and made her way up the stairs to her room. She grabbed the backpack on her floor and shoved some clothes in. She quickly went back down the stairs and made sure to grab the few other bags she could carry, making sure one of them was the one filled with the medical supplies she and Daryl had just gotten the other day.

Rhiannon made sure to use the backdoor, she doubted she'd have any more good luck getting past the crowd of walkers out front again.

She tried to keep her breathing under control and tried desperately to make sure she didn't just burst into tears.

She made it to her car and opened the back door, throwing the bags in. A loud shriek left her lips as she felt cold hands grip her hair. She pushed back, shoving the walkers off her with her shoulder and quickly stumbled back. She swung her sword as she turned but had lost her footing on the uneven ground.

She swore she heard a crack and felt a white hot pain in her ankle as she fell. There was no time to dwell on the pain she felt as the walker that had her in it's grip fell down with her, it's teeth just inches away from taking a bite out of her.

She groaned as she pushed with all her might when suddenly blood had spattered against her face and the walker had fallen limp on top of her. Rhiannon scurried out from underneath the body, wincing in pain as she moved her hurt ankle.

She looked up in shock and her wide eyes met Carl who stared back at her in equal shock, like he couldn't believe what he had just done, like he couldn't believe that _he_ had just been the hero.

"Holy fuck." Rhiannon breathed out, getting to her feet rather slowly and unsteadily. Carl ran to her side and placed his small arm around her waist to help her and despite everything, she let out a laugh at his antics.

"Carl!" Rick yelled fiercely. Rhiannon could hear the fear in his voice.

"Rick! I got him!" She yelled back.

Through the crowd of walkers she could see Rick stare back at her, only somewhat relieved while Rhiannon had felt full relief when she noticed the grip he had on her dad as he pulled him towards the car.

"Go to the highway!" Rick yelled. He was reluctant to go anywhere until his son was by his side but he knew he couldn't get through the herd to get to him and if there was anyone he trusted more than him to look after Carl in a situation like this, it was Rhiannon.

"Come on." Rhiannon almost picked Carl up like a baby as they made their way to her car. She ignored the stabbing pain in her ankle and powered through, she would be damned if another kid got hurt because of her.

Carl quickly climbed over the driver's seat and fell into the passenger side, out of breath. Rhiannon climbed in after him and turned the key with shaking hands to start the engine. She spun the wheel and sped off, hitting body after body in her wake. She felt like a stunt driver by the way she was speeding.

The car Rick and her father were in made a right turn but by the time she had made it down the driveway, the crowd of walkers that had followed the car was blocking the road. Rhiannon swore loudly and hastily backed the car up and turned.

Rick, in the car ahead of them, noticed the headlights through the crowd of walkers in the rearview mirror. He slammed his hand against the wheel, cursing under his breath when he saw them back up and turn the other way.

 _He's fine, he's fine. She'll keep him safe and they'll both be ok,_ he kept repeating in his head like a mantra.

Rhiannon winced, taking her foot of the gas pedal. Of course the foot she injured was the one she needed to drive with. The car slowed almost to a stop and she gingerly applied pressure on the pedal to make the car go faster but immediately winced and took her foot off.

"You want me to take over?" Carl said after a moment of silence.

Rhiannon huffed out a laugh and spared a glance at him. He looked terrified, like he was in shock about what had just happened tonight.

"Think I'll pass on that." Rhiannon responded sarcastically and leaned her body over so she could use her left foot to press the pedals.

It was uncomfortable and her ankle was screaming in protest at being moved but it was better than staying still. Rhiannon looked back over at Carl who vacantly stared at the passing scenery.

The scenes from the past hour ran through her mind like a horror movie. She kept thinking about the crowd of walkers feasting on the poor person that hadn't made it. Her mind speculated wildly about who it could've been.

She knew Maggie was safe, she'd seen her car leave the farm. Daryl was safe, he'd been on his motorcycle and hadn't been anywhere near the house. Was it Beth? Carol? Oh god, what if it was Lori? Rhiannon shook her head, forcing the thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't lose it now, she had to be strong for Carl.

"Do you remember which part of the highway you guys were on?"

Carl's eyes narrowed in thought. "We were near the forest, just after it opened up."

Rhiannon tried not to get annoyed at his vague answer but she couldn't blame him, he wouldn't have known to keep the information in his mind, it's not like they'd planned on going back out there. But she did have some idea of where to find everyone, it was a big area but she had everything riding on it.

"We're gonna be ok." She told him making him look at her. The look on his face broke her heart, she couldn't imagine what it was like for a child in this world, how intimidating it must be. "I'm gonna get you back to your mom and dad, everything's gonna be ok."

Carl nodded slowly and reached over to grab her hand from the steering wheel so he could grip it tightly. Rhiannon wanted to cry. She swallowed thickly, forcing her emotions down and squeezed his hand in hers.

"Everything's gonna be ok." Carl repeated her words quietly, like he was trying to convince himself it was true.

* * *

Rick and Hershel hid behind a car as yet another walker passed them. They were the first ones to arrive at the highway and with each passing minute both of the fathers began to lose more and more of their hope.

"They'll be here soon." Rick repeated for the tenth time. Hershel wondered if Rick was speaking to him or just himself at this point. "She got out, she'll be here, they all will."

"I don't know how much longer we can stay here."

Rick sent a glare towards Hershel. "Your daughters are out there, my son and my wife are out there, we aren't leaving."

"I know, I don't want to leave either, I just don't know how safe it'll be out here. We're no good to anyone dead." Hershel responded. Rick though over his words and sighed, the older man was right. The herd could make their way through the forest and find them. "You should go on, get to safety. I'll wait here for everyone."

Rick widened his eyes. "My son is out there, I'm not leaving."

"Your son is going to need his father, you _need_ to stay safe."

Rick rolled his eyes, he had recognized this unmoving courage and willingness to sacrifice everything for everyone else. "Now I know where Rhiannon get's it from." He mumbled.

Hershel forced a small smile at the mention of his daughter and felt a pang go through his chest. He prayed to god that she was ok, that all three of them were ok and would soon be in his arms again.

"We're staying." Rick stated with finality.

Before Hershel could argue, the rumbling of a motorcycle caught their attention. They shared looks of awe and stepped out from behind the car only to see Daryl with Carol on the back of his bike, followed by two cars.

Both of the men deflated slightly as they noticed none of the cars were the black suv Rhiannon drove but were nonetheless delighted when their family stepped out to greet them.

Daryl shook Rick's hand firmly before the man was practically attacked into a hug by Lori. He gave a small smile at the family reunion and his eyes roamed the crowd before him, looking for the familiar blonde hair.

Panic began to set in when he didn't see her. _No, no, no. Where the fuck is she? She's supposed to be here._

Daryl's heart beat faster and he felt very close to losing it, close to lashing out like he used to do almost daily back at the quarry. _I can't lose her, not like this._

"Where is she?" He growled menacingly.

Rick sighed, keeping his arm around Lori who was sobbing at the absence of her son. Daryl had apparently missed all the commotion as he was too wrapped up in his thoughts, his mind screaming at him that he had lost her.

He hadn't even noticed Maggie and Beth crying, begging their father for an answer to where their big sister was.

"She's on her way, she's with Carl and they'll be here soon." Rick told him, turning his attention to Lori at the last part of his sentence to reassure the hysterical mother.

Daryl raked a trembling hand over his tired face and began to pace. He was itching to get on his bike and go back, to look everywhere until he found her.

Rick noticed the hunter's agitation and hardened his gaze. "No one goes anywhere. They'll be here."

"How do you know that?" Maggie piped up tearfully, on the verge of hysteria. "What if she got hurt or they got blocked off?"

Daryl felt his worry grow at her words. He couldn't stand the thought of her hurt. Her bright smile flashed in his mind and the memories of the steamy afternoon they'd shared not even twenty four hours ago made his chest ache.

She made him feel things he never thought were possible, he _couldn't_ lose her.

Daryl grit his teeth and kicked at the car beside him, startling the rest of the group and causing them to look over at him.

"I'm goin' back." He growled, getting on his bike.

"Daryl." Rick spoke sternly.

That only served to push him to his breaking point and without the woman who always calmed him down from his outbursts, he was powerless to stop the inevitable blow up. He was about to start yelling belligerently when he heard the soft sound of a car engine.

The entire group froze and waited with bated breath. They didn't want to get their hopes up in case it wasn't her and just some random person driving by. It wasn't until the black suv came into view that there was a collective sigh of relief.

Rhiannon turned the engine off, already feeling tears come to her eyes at the sight of her family. Carl smiled widely and practically threw himself out of the car to get to his parents.

Lori cried loudly as she held her son and Rick placed a kiss to his head, wrapping his arms around the both of them.

Daryl's heart beat wildly as he watched her step out of the car slowly. She was absolutely exhausted and she was sure she looked it. She stepped down on her ankle and bit back a whimper as she limped towards her family.

Maggie and Beth ran towards her and pulled her into their embrace, practically suffocating her with their hold. "Are you ok?" Maggie asked frantically, pulling away to look for any bites or scratches.

"I'm ok, it's just my ankle."

Beth put a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs but they were still quite loud. Rhiannon frowned and pulled her baby sister in for another hug.

Beth cried into her shoulder, the relief she felt was overwhelming. She'd hated how her big sister had been absent in her childhood and she'd been put through hell those three weeks that she thought she was dead and having that feeling again, even if just for a couple of hours, was too much for her to handle. She couldn't imagine going through this without her big sister.

Hershel kissed his daughter on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug but only after Beth had finally let go.

Rhiannon pulled away from her father and smiled lightly, feeling quite shy at the proud smile he had on his face. Her eyes shifted to Daryl who hadn't taken his eyes off of her since the moment she had stepped out of the car.

He couldn't describe what he was feeling. Going from the most terrified he'd ever been to overwhelmingly happy made him feel dizzy. He'd noticed her limp and frowned, the thought of her getting hurt, even if it was just a twisted ankle, killed him. It made his chest tighten in way that left him breathless.

Rhiannon wanted to run to him, throw her arms around him and kiss him until they couldn't breathe but she had almost everyone's eyes on her.

Daryl was almost twitching in anticipation. He wanted her in his arms but they couldn't risk something that intimate in front of everyone.

"Thank you, thank you." Lori cried over and over, finally tearing herself from Carl to give Rhiannon a tight hug. Her body trembled as she held the younger woman. That moment when she saw Rick and didn't see her little boy with him had crushed her, she thought it was over but just like their first day on the farm, Rhiannon had pulled through and saved her life by saving her son's.

Lori pulled away, not wanting to be separated from Carl for too long. Rick stepped forward wearily, giving Rhiannon a sad smile. Their friendship had been tarnished the last week but at this moment, he owed everything to her.

He pulled her into a hug, placing his hand on the back of her head in a fatherly way. Rhiannon swallowed thickly and hugged him back. Rick whispered his thanks but he started to feel guilty. How many times had he thanked in her the short time they'd known each other? How many times had he told himself how grateful he was to have her around when she helped carry the heavy weight on his shoulders and did so much to make sure he and his group were safe?

Too many to count. And the way he treated her the last week, the way he practically ignored the attack. Granted, his mind was plagued by her hurt every second of the day but he didn't do anything about it, didn't punish Shane, and that was just as bad as not caring.

Rick almost flinched as he thought back to his last moments with Shane and the confession he made just minutes before Rick plunged the knife into his chest. Shane admitted to everything, the threats, how he wanted nothing more than to make her hurt. _You wanted me to get over Lori, didn't you? Well I found the perfect distraction,_ Shane's words had haunted him the last couple of hours and Rick was sure they always would.

"I'm sorry." He whispered so no one else could hear.

Rhiannon frowned and wanted to ask him what he meant but Rick had pulled away and went back to his wife and son. She kept her eye on him as if her stare would force him to blab in front of everyone.

"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl spoke up. He could see Rhiannon was uncomfortable with all the attention and hugs. And there was a certain asshole who wasn't standing there with him. Daryl needed to be certain Shane really was gone before he popped the champagne.

"We're the only ones who made it."

Lori stiffened, tightening her arms around Carl. "Shane?"

Rick grit his teeth and shook his head minutely. His eyes flickered over to Rhiannon and even though it was only for a second, the intensity of it burned through her.

She was more than a little surprised and now understanding of his apology just seconds ago. Her eyes found Daryl's and the soft look in his eyes made her melt, like he was also feeling the weight being lifted from her shoulders. She was free from the torment, at least _his_ torment, the world was a whole other issue.

Rhiannon wanted to laugh hysterically and have Daryl pick her up and spin her around like the male lead of a romcom would. But Lori and Carl both looked shaken by the news of his death and she couldn't upset them even more.

"Andrea?"

Glenn's voice snapped her back into reality and her few seconds of relief were gone as fast as they'd come. They'd lost other people, ones who didn't deserve it.

"Patricia?"

Rhiannon's throat tightened and she whirled around on her feet, her eyes frantically searching for the woman who was practically her aunt. Her heart began to race when she didn't see her. Suddenly, the scene in front of the house ran through her mind, the swarm of walkers having a feast...that was Patricia.

"They got her too, took her right from me." Beth spoke with a wavering voice and she swiftly leaned into Hershel who wrapped his arm around her once again.

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and leaned against the car that was closest to her. She felt too weak to stay standing on just one foot. Daryl noticed the ashen expression on her face that darkened even further at the mention of Jimmy's death, adding another one to the list. He wanted nothing more than to march over to her and wrap his arms around her.

That kind of impulse was new to him but he knew it was a good thing, especially if it meant getting to hold her.

Once it was decided that there wasn't going to be a search party for Andrea, which was another blow - it wasn't like Rhiannon was all that close to her but it was still disheartening regardless- the group was on the move.

Carol squeezed her arm as she passed to get to the car. "I'm glad you're ok." She said softly, her voice overcome with emotion.

Rhiannon nodded with a weak smile on her face. "You too."

As the group began to split up to their cars, Hershel noticed his eldest daughter dragging behind, limping slowly and wincing with every step. He frowned deeply and moved to help her but stopped in his tracks abruptly as Daryl rushed forward to help her.

His arm snaked around her waist, allowing her to lean against him as he practically carried her to the car. She blushed softly as his touch warmed her cold body but she kept her eyes forward. It would be too tempting to look up at his blue eyes in that moment.

"You scared the shit outta me." Daryl mumbled quietly.

"Well you know me, can never do things the easy way." She responded sarcastically making Daryl huff out a laugh.

Hershel opened the car door for her to slide in. The pair smiled bashfully at the older man's gaze. They knew they weren't exactly keeping a low profile but they didn't care. After the night they had, they needed to be close.

Daryl tightened his grip on her for a second before letting her go so she could get in the car. Rhiannon gave him a small smile and she clumsily hoisted herself up, trying her best to avoid stepping on her injured ankle.

Daryl's small smile fell at the sight of her struggle but he quickly reigned in the concern displaying on his face. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, giving Hershel a small nod.

Hershel nodded back at him and climbed into the backseat next to his daughter. He was more than a little confused at the nature of their relationship.

Daryl sighed loudly, he wasn't quite satisfied with their reunion. He had been absolutely terrified thinking she was lost forever and the relief he had felt at seeing her again was indescribable. He just wished he could've had more contact than an arm around the waist.

He'd seen her and talked to her but he still _missed_ her. He needed to hold her and kiss her. He was aching for it.

He shook his head and started up his motorcycle, trying to clear his thoughts from her enough to focus on the road.

* * *

Rhiannon jerked awake forcefully, her heart racing as she leaned forward to look out the windshield to see what was happening.

"It's ok, it was just the car horn." Hershel calmed her down, patting her leg that was draped over his lap.

Rhiannon nodded and leaned back against Beth who she had been using as a pillow. "What's going on?" She spoke through a yawn.

"Probably outta gas."

Glenn, Maggie and her father got out of the car and went to the front to meet up with the rest of the group as Beth helped Rhiannon out and helped her limp to meet them. By the time they got there, plans were already being made.

Rhiannon was terrified at being out on the road again but she was so thankful to have a group with her, to have Rick as a leader.

"We spend the night here?" Carol asked wearily.

"I'm freezing." Carl shivered, leaning into his mother.

"There should be some coats in my car. I managed to grab a few bags from the house before I left." Rhiannon spoke up tiredly, still feeling like she was half asleep.

Rick gave a sigh of relief and sent her a nod in thanks as Lori immediately went to fetch one for Carl.

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie said, the notion of sleeping at the side of the road didn't give her any comfort, no matter how many people they had on watch.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel scolded and all three of his daughters rolled their eyes in unison. "Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick."

Everyone's nerves were like a powder keg, ready to blow, as Rick tried to keep them calm as he suggested the plan for the night. Rhiannon knew being out in the open was a bad idea but it was the only option they had and she wasn't going to question Rick on it.

"At least we found each other." Rick continued talking, sensing morale was pretty much non existent at this point. "We're together. We keep it that way."

 _Fuck yeah, I'm keepin' it that way,_ Daryl thought to himself. His eyes met Rhiannon's as Rick spoke. The look on his face told her everything she needed to know, she wasn't ever leaving his side and she was more than ok with that.

Rhiannon felt her annoyance flare as the others started to voice their distaste for the situation. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, trying to drown out the arguments. She understood that everyone was on edge but what did they want Rick to do about it?

She had to hold back a loud groan as the conversation had shifted to Randall and his group. But her eyes sprung open when Daryl had mentioned that the kid had turned without being bit. That certainly woke her up.

"How is that possible?" Beth asked innocently.

"Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to."

"And then the herd got him?" Lori asked, still reeling from the news of his death.

Rhiannon fidgeted suddenly feeling like all eyes were on her even though it was just Rick giving her that same look as before, the sorry eyes that were filled with guilt and regret.

Rick's eyes left hers and his expression hardened into something she couldn't recognize.

"We're all infected."

The group went silent and they all stared at Rick, some with hard gazes, some with disbelief, and some with shock. Rhiannon wasn't sure which one she was, she felt like she had gone numb.

Rick began to explain about the CDC, trying to explain something he was still having trouble making sense of.

Rhiannon remembered Daryl telling her about the CDC, the crazy doctor they'd met and how they'd lost someone named Jacquie. _Had Rick really known about it that whole time?_

"So we die and come back...as one of them?" Although she was tired her voice was strong and hard.

Rick nodded, refusing to meet her eyes. This time Rhiannon didn't feel annoyed when everyone jumped down their leader's throat. She was angry and confused and something else she couldn't name. Fear maybe? Fear that she might die and become a walker, only to end up hurting someone.

Rick had walked off, leaving the rest of them with their thoughts which was becoming a terrifying thing. In this life, no one ever wanted to really think about what was happening, what they were having to go through. It was best to just go through it and not dwell on it.

As Rick and Lori talked, the rest of them decided to unload the few bags they had and get a fire started by the side of the road.

Rhiannon began to walk to the trunk to get the bags but she let out a small whimper and placed her hands on the hood of the car as the pain flared in her ankle.

"Hey, don't worry about that, they can handle a few bags." T-Dog told her, placing a hand on her arm. "Come on." He squatted in front of her making her laugh in disbelief.

"Are you kidding?"

"I'm serious as hell, girl. Hop on."

Rhiannon let out a small giggle and climbed on T-Dog's back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her down to the makeshift camp.

The others gave a small, amused laugh, seeing the big burly man giving the smallest one in the group a piggy back ride.

All except Daryl. He glared deeply at the man who carried her. He could've done it just fine, he was even on his way to go help her when T had stepped in.

The smile on Rhiannon's face made him grit his teeth painfully. He'd never been jealous before and he absolutely hated the feeling.

Carol noticed the scowl on his face and she couldn't help but find it adorable how protective he was of his crush.

"Don't worry, she still likes you better." She told him with a smirk.

Daryl snapped his head towards her and glared deeply, though the blush on his cheeks made it a little less intimidating. He grumbled under his breath and stomped off to build the fire. His actions only served to make Carol smile even bigger.

Despite what had happened, the hellish day they've had and the hellish news they received, it felt good to smile.

This was the hand they were dealt and groaning about it wasn't going to change anything. They all knew they should find happiness and laughter when they could, they never knew when it would run out.

Within minutes, the fire was roaring and everyone was huddled in a circle, not speaking. Daryl had made sure to seat himself next to Rhiannon and he tried desperately not to send glares in T-Dog's direction.

Rhiannon sent him a small glare, silently telling him to relax. Daryl felt embarrassed that she had caught him brooding.

"You need help?" He asked quietly. She was wrapping her foot with gauze, trying to cover up the large purple and yellow bruise on her swollen ankle.

"No, I got it." She replied with a shy smile. It never failed to make her swoon every time Daryl showed concern for her.

The mood around the fire was somber but between the new couple, they were more relaxed and at ease. Just being near each other was enough to calm them down. They didn't need anything else as long as the were with each other. It wasn't until Carol started badgering Daryl about Rick being an unfit leader that both of their moods began to sour.

"I think we should take our chances." Maggie piped up causing Rhiannon to roll her eyes.

"Maggie, don't be an idiot. You can't hunt, there's no gas, no ammo. We need to stay." She told her sister sternly.

Maggie looked down at her lap, almost in shame. She didn't know if she was cut out for this. Suddenly, a sound in the woods had everyone perking up, and instinctively reaching for their guns, despite most of them being empty.

Daryl stood, giving Rhiannon a look that told her to stay where she was. She wanted to roll her eyes again, it's not like she could move if she wanted to.

"We need to leave. What are we waiting for?"

Rick sighed angrily. "The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark."

The arguing quickly started again making Rhiannon wince. She looked out into the woods nervously. Everyone was on edge about walkers but they certainly didn't seem to care about the noise they were making to draw them in.

Rhiannon felt like a child getting scolded and she was sure everyone else felt the same way as Rick started yelling at them.

"I killed my best friend for you people, for christ's sakes!"

Rhiannon froze, her lips parting in shock as she stared up at Rick with wide eyes. Daryl looked down at her, his face masked with equal shock. Rick heaved slightly and his eyes roamed the group, stopping at Rhiannon. His harsh gaze seemed to soften as he looked at her.

She looked guilty, like she had made him kill his friend. She didn't want it to go that far, she just wanted Shane to get the same treatment as Randall, a backpack and a goodbye.

"You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us, how he attacked Rhiannon."

The group stiffened and their eyes shifted to the young woman who looked ready to dig a hole for herself. Her breathing stuttered and she refused to make eye contact with her sisters or father even though she could feel their gaze on her.

"He killed Otis and he threatened her, hurt her, to keep her quiet. Tried to rape her." Rick continued. He felt like a jerk for telling everyone this but he knew she never would and he knew the rest of the group had no idea what Shane was really like, how volatile he really was. He needed to make them understand.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and brought her head down as she heard a few gasps from the others.

"Rick." Daryl warned harshly. He didn't want this to all be brought out, not now when she was already so fragile after losing a member of her family. He saw the way her lip quivered and he felt a pain in his chest.

Rhiannon spared a look at Daryl who looked just as pained as she felt. She noticed Carol beside him who had her hand over mouth and a horrified expression on her face. The older woman never would've guessed that _that_ was the thing that had been plaguing her the last couple of days.

Carl started crying, bring her attention to him from across the fire. Lori held her son closely but her wide eyes were trained on Rhiannon.

Rick continued with his speech but Rhiannon couldn't care less about what he was saying. She stared into the fire, contemplating throwing herself onto it. It would be much more desirable than sitting here and listening to Rick telling them it wasn't a democracy anymore.

She took back everything she'd thought about being grateful for having a group with her. At least when she was on the road before, she was alone and there was no drama. It was just her calling the shots for herself.

Rick stomped off to take watch while the rest slowly took back their places by the fire as they tried to settle in for the night. Daryl sat next to her and subtly reached for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. Rhiannon sighed and squeezed back.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Maggie's harsh voice spoke up. Her eyes pierced into her older sister's. She was beyond angry at what had happened. Angry that someone had hurt her sister and angry that she didn't tell her. "We could've helped you."

"Maggie." Glenn warned softly. He noticed the way Rhiannon had flinched at Maggie's tone and he didn't think it was fair to push the poor girl anymore.

"Now isn't the time." Hershel said sternly, his eyes moving back and forth to each of her daughters. That seemed to quiet Maggie but she still looked ready to burst with questions.

Rhiannon sniffled and wiped away a stray tear that fell. She could feel Daryl practically buzzing beside her. He wanted to yell at everyone to mind their fucking business. He wanted to crush her to him, something he hadn't been able to do since they'd found each other.

Rhiannon knew what he was longing for and she was feeling the same way. She wanted him close but she settled for leaning her head on his shoulder.

Daryl stiffened and looked down at her in surprise. Was she really doing this in front of everyone?

"Rhi…" He said softly in question.

"I don't care." She responded tiredly.

Daryl sighed, allowing himself to relax slightly, though it was hard with the questioning eyes on them. He forced himself to just focus on her and the feeling of having her close, something he'd been wanting all day.

Their future was uncertain and with winter coming, they knew it wouldn't be easy on the run. But at least they had found each other.

Daryl held her tightly, making a silent promise to never let anything happen to her, to never be separated from her. If last night had taught him anything, it was that he knew for certain that he needed her by his side if he was going to survive this shit world.

* * *

 **That is a wrap on season 2!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this very long chapter. There will be some original material for a while before we get into season 3. I need to develop Daryl and Rhiannon's relationship some more before we get to the prison and Merle, and all that crazy shit.**

 **Thank you so much for reading xx**


	23. Chapter 23

About a week had passed since they'd left the farm and tensions were still high. Rhiannon had kept her distance from pretty much everyone but Daryl.

She had seen the looks of concern and pity Carol, T-Dog and Glenn sent her and she didn't want it. She had seen the unwavering disbelief in Lori's eyes as the woman refused to believe that man she knew was capable of such horrible things.

The woman was even more put off by the fact that her son had been glued to Rhiannon's side ever since she'd gotten him off the farm.

Rick looked at her with guilt that was almost always overpowered by the hardened scowl that had become familiar on his once kind features. Being the leader was taking its toll on him and he really wasn't kidding about his role as the dictator.

Her family was another story. She didn't know how to talk to them. She felt like she was 19 again, doing everything she could to avoid them, which was easy in the case of Maggie. Her sister didn't even try to speak to her, didn't even look at her. Rhiannon actually preferred it to the way her dad and Beth looked at her, like they were expecting a breakdown at any moment.

Their anger didn't last long. Hershel knew the soft looks he sent his daughter put her on edge which was the exact reason she'd kept the secret. He knew his daughter and he knew not to take it personally when she didn't divulge every detail in her life, even if it was a pretty _huge_ detail.

And Beth was just so distraught that someone had hurt her big sister, she felt no resentment at all. She could see it from Rhiannon's point of view, knowing that if something had happened to her she wouldn't feel comfortable announcing it to everyone.

It was well past dark and almost everyone had gone to bed in the rooms they'd cleared out of the house they'd been lucky enough to find. Of course everyone had made her stay behind with Beth, Carol, Lori, Carl, and her dad because of her foot. It was healing quickly but she still had a bit of a limp and she wasn't allowed to do anything physical.

Rhiannon yawned and tried to tame her wild bed head. Her sleep schedule had been out of sync thanks to taking watch at night and she had slept most of the afternoon.

This was what she looked forward to though, spending time with Daryl with no one around to bother them and no one to send them smiles like they were the cutest thing they'd ever seen.

Rhiannon was fixing dinner for the hunter, knowing he hadn't eaten any of what he'd brought back for the group. She turned to head out to the back of the house where Daryl was keeping watch. She much rather preferred to be with him than Maggie and Glenn who were keeping watch at the front of the house.

She didn't even make it out of the kitchen and stopped in her spot as Rick entered the room. The silence between them was tense and awkward. They were both mad but for different reasons, Rick's anger had nothing to do with Rhiannon while the girl wanted nothing more than to give the man a swift punch in the nose for opening his big mouth that horrible night at the side of the road.

"Takin' watch?"

She nodded in response, wanting to sprint out of the room but Rick blocked the doorway. She sighed, knowing now was the time for the dreaded conversation she knew was coming.

"Before you go, can we talk...about what happened?" Rick said, sounding more reserved and calm than he'd been all week.

"Unless you're gonna apologize, we have nothing to talk about." Rhiannon responded harshly making Rick sigh and place his head in his hands.

He rubbed at his tired face and expelled a harsh breath. "Rhiannon, I can't apologize enough for what I did. Not just for blurting it out in front of everyone, but for not doing anything about Shane. Lookin' back...I'm _disgusted_ with myself." He paused, placing a hand over his mouth. "I let it happen." He stated simply.

Rhiannon felt conflicted. She was ready to tear him a new one, give him the verbal asskicking she thought he deserved. But seeing him so worn down, so guilty, she couldn't help but feel bad for him.

She knew he felt guilty, she could see it at the farm. Rick took the world on his shoulders, and if even if he didn't make the right decision at the time, Rhiannon could see that his own actions hurt him.

"It wasn't your fault. _You_ didn't threaten me or touch me."

"Yeah but I knew _he_ did. And I didn't do shit about it." Rick sighed, shaking his head. "I can't believe I let him string me along for so long. I'm sorry I didn't do more."

Rhiannon swallowed thickly. _Finally_ , she wanted to scream but she felt more bitter than sweet at the moment.

"What could you have done, kill him? You did. You took care of it." Rhiannon said, noticing the way Rick had flinched at her words. "Rick, I know Lori may not see it this way, but you did the right thing. I know it hurts, but that's just because you still think of him as the man he used to be, not the man he was at the farm."

"I know, I know he was...slipping. He woulda killed me." He said softly, almost in disbelief, like he was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

"I'm glad you did what you did. Not just for me, but for you, for your family. Shane was poison for everyone in this group." Rhiannon told him sincerely. "I know you're gonna get us farther than he ever would."

"Still doesn't excuse what I've done."

Rhiannon sighed. Couldn't he just accept her words and move on instead of wallowing in his guilt? He was starting to sound like a certain hunter.

"I know and I'm still pissed at you for blabbing but, honestly, the more I think about it…" Rhiannon trailed off and sighed. "It was probably for the better."

Rick narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion. Surely nothing he did that night could've been for the better.

"I don't know if I ever would've told my family about what happened if you didn't. And seeing how much it hurt them, knowing I kept it from them... I owe you a thank you."

Rick shook his head. "No, it wasn't my place. I overstepped my boundaries."

"Yeah, you did but I really don't give a fuck." Rhiannon stated bluntly making Rick huff out a breath of air which could have been taken as a laugh. "I have to stop keeping so many secrets from the people that care about me."

Rick was still very confused. "Why are you like this?" He spoke out somewhat harshly causing Rhiannon to narrow her eyes at him. "Just yell at me, hit me, I deserve it. Why are you forgiving me? Why do you always have this unwavering rationality?"

Rhiannon paused, her eyes casting downwards. "I'm the way I am because being irrational got me nowhere. I spent so much of my life being irrational and it ruined my relationship with my family. I didn't even realize until all this shit started." She said softly, feeling overcome with emotions.

It was always hard for her to talk about the strained relationship she'd had with her family since her mother died. It was even harder knowing they were so mad at her now. "I can't afford to be irrational now."

Rick nodded, his face turned down into a frown. He knew some of her past, had learned a few things in that bar when they had gone to bring Hershel back after the barn massacre.

He sighed heavily, Rhiannon had been dealing with her own long list of issues and he had just added to them, making the list longer with his stupid rant that night.

"Well, I'm still sorry." He said again. He really hoped she wasn't just humouring him, trying to act like everything was fine despite her anger that persisted.

"I know." She said and the honesty he heard in her voice put him at ease. Rick knew Rhiannon wasn't one for deception, she laid her heart out on her sleeve and was never one to shy away from the truth.

"So we're ok then?" Rick asked nervously. Rhiannon smiled crookedly, she felt like she was in elementary school again, solving a schoolyard fight.

"Yeah, we're ok."

Rick sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted. He'd been fretting about this for awhile. "I appreciate you being so cool about this. I was expecting a punch in the face."

Rhiannon scoffed playfully. "I'm a mature adult."

Rick smiled. "Good, cause I don't think I could go through that after the earful I got from Daryl."

"What?"

"Yesterday, Daryl ripped me a new one. Told me I had disrespected you and to make it right and apologize or he'd 'stomp my ass into the ground'."

Rhiannon felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. That man surprised her everyday. He wasn't romantic by conventional standards. He didn't bring her flowers he'd found while hunting, he didn't sweep her off her feet and kiss her passionately when he got back from a run and she didn't want him to. That wasn't him.

It was the little things he did that made her melt. The way he protected her and looked out for her, not just physically, but apparently emotionally too. She knew he could tell she was on edge after what had happened, and he could see how strained her friendship was with the leader and he decided to do something about it.

"I didn't know that." She said softly, trying to ignore the frantic beating of her heart.

"You two have gotten pretty close." Rick smiled slyly, all the seriousness now gone from the conversation.

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't push your luck, Grimes." She grabbed the bowl of food and went to make her way out of the room when she slowed to a stop.

"What you said, about it not being a democracy, I think that's the right choice."

Rick was stunned by her words. Lori had berated him endlessly and continued to tell him how she thought his words from that night were out of line. "Really?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Out here, you can't wait to make decisions, you can't wait to see if anyone agrees. If you slow down, you die."

Rick nodded slowly, letting her words sink in. He was just glad he was finally getting some support, he didn't know how much longer he could go on with everyone walking on eggshells around him.

He was glad someone was finally speaking their mind. He figured he could always count on Rhiannon for that.

"Just don't let it get to your head." She told him with a smirk.

Rick nodded thoughtfully, feeling grateful for her honest words. She sent him a small smile as she left the room.

Rhiannon was glad that had been sorted out. She felt like she was part of the real housewives with all the drama going on.

All she felt was relief when she got to the back door and saw that familiar angel winged vest on the person she'd been wanting to be with all day. Now that they were on the road, they didn't get much alone time to just sit and talk like they used to do at the farm.

Rhiannon opened the door and stepped out causing Daryl to turn his head at the noise. As soon as he saw it was her his lip quirked up in a small smile. He'd been wondering when she was finally going to find her way to him, he felt like he'd been waiting for hours.

She handed the bowl of food to him which he hesitated taking. She rolled her eyes and gave him a stern look to which he just sighed and took the bowl in his hands. He was always worried there wasn't enough for everyone and he would always refuse to eat until everyone had gotten some.

He was too selfish for his own good, which Rhiannon had told him on more than one occasion but he was too stubborn to listen.

Rhiannon sat beside him on the steps and swiftly leaned over, planting a kiss on his cold cheek. Daryl stiffened at first, surprised by the unexpected gesture. Even though his initial reaction was to tense whenever she touched him, he always relaxed right away. He never felt uncomfortable for long with her around.

Daryl's eyes flittered over her face before he looked down at the food in his hands, he didn't want her to see her blushing but the smile she had on her face proved she already had.

"What was that for?" He mumbled quietly, trying his best to ignore the whirlwind happening in his chest.

"You're pretty incredible, you know that?"

Daryl blushed even harder. He couldn't even speak, he was too stunned. The look on his face showed his confusion and shyness over her compliment.

"Rick and I just talked."

Daryl froze, he knew where this was going. Suddenly the teasing smile on her face made sense. _Goddamn Rick wasn't supposed to tell her what I said._

"Didn't take you for a meddler, Dixon." Rhiannon teased, grinning widely at the man's awkwardness.

"You two work things out?" He said, steering the conversation from her teasing. He was sure if he blushed anymore his cheeks would melt off.

"Yeah, we're good."

"You break his nose?" Daryl asked, only half joking. He wouldn't put it past her, he'd known how pissed she was at the man.

Rhiannon glared at him and nudged his much bigger shoulder with hers. "Is that my _thing_ now?" She whined sarcastically. She didn't exactly want to be known as 'the puncher'.

Daryl just let out a small chuckle and continued eating. Rhiannon's eyes roamed over him with a soft gaze. The feeling she got hearing him laugh was incredible. She knew he was someone who had been deprived of it for so long and she couldn't help but feel so happy to see him relaxed, a complete opposite to how he'd been that first day at the farm.

Daryl felt her gaze on him and he courageously looked up to meet her eyes. The fondness he saw in those brown orbs made him feel all warm inside. It was strange, something he'd never felt before she came around.

Rhiannon smiled shyly at being caught staring and her gaze moved to the forest in front of them.

Daryl kept his eyes on her though. He was glad she had talked to Rick, he could tell by her playful mood that she was already starting to feel better, less stressed. But he knew for certain that she wouldn't start to feel like her carefree self until _everything_ had been dealt with.

"You talk to Maggie yet?" His voice broke the silence.

Rhiannon tensed and she kept her eyes forward. "No. Don't think she wants to talk to me any time soon." She responded flatly.

Daryl bit his lip anxiously. He hated seeing her so worked up about this. She never said anything, but it hurt her so badly every time Maggie ignored her or sent her a barely stifled glare.

It made Daryl angry but he couldn't exactly yell at her sister. That wouldn't bode well for him and we was sure Rhiannon would kick his ass if he ever spoke badly of her family.

Despite the strained relationship, she was still so protective of them.

"You should talk. No point in draggin' this out when you know you'll both feel better if you just clear the air."

Rhiannon furrowed her brows and turned to look at him. The shock on her face was almost comical.

"What?" Daryl asked, now getting defensive at the way she looked at him. _Did I say somethin' wrong?_

"Nothing, you just sounded a lot like Oprah, freaked me out."

Daryl sent a glare her way. "Stop. Tryin'a be serious here." He nudged her gently.

Rhiannon laughed and leaned against him. "I know I need to come clean about everything, it's just, I've done this so many times. Kept so many things from them. How many times can I expect them to forgive me?"

"Your dad and Beth already do."

"Yeah, but Maggie's always been a stubborn bitch. It's not gonna be easy."

Daryl reached over and grabbed her hand, surprising her. Over the past week he'd kept surprising her with the way he'd seek her out, the way he'd touch her. She figured she'd be the one to initiate everything.

"She'll understand."

Rhiannon sighed and leaned her forehead against his arm, wishing she could just hide from her problems forever.

"Can't I just stay here and we can make out all night?"

Daryl almost let out a gasp at her being so forward. He'd have to learn to get used to her bluntness. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He refused to look down at her, he already knew she'd be smiling wickedly.

That damn girl knew exactly how to make him squirm but he found that he loved every second of it. It certainly kept him on his toes.

"Go." He urged her.

Rhiannon sat up and eyed him thoughtfully. "So is that a 'no' to making out?"

Daryl blushed and tapped his fingers against his crossbow incessantly. _She fuckin' crazy? Never say no to that._ Daryl just cracked a small smile and she had her answer.

Rhiannon stifled a laugh and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek again. "I'll be back soon." She whispered in his ear and stood to make her way back inside.

She paused before closing the door and turned back to watch him. She couldn't help but feel awful prideful at the way he shifted in his place.

"Goddamn vixen." Daryl muttered to himself, pulling a much needed cigarette from his pocket.

Rhiannon's confidence dwindled as she got to the front door. She sighed loudly and nervously stepped outside to see Glenn and Maggie curled up together under a blanket as they kept watch.

"Hey." She said softly, sending them a small smile which fell immediately as Maggie turned her eyes away from her. "Glenn, can you give us a minute?"

Glenn nodded and looked down at Maggie who sent him a look of betrayal. The two of them had just had a similar conversation to Rhiannon and Daryl's.

Glenn hated seeing Maggie like this. He knew she loved her sister and he could clearly see how much they were both hurting because of this. Maggie's anger wasn't like her and Glenn wanted the girl he fell in love with back.

He stood and mouthed a 'good luck' to Rhiannon as he passed and ducked inside.

Rhiannon stood awkwardly, not knowing where to start so they were left with a tense silence.

"You shouldn't be walking on that ankle." Maggie finally said tersely.

 _Really? That's what she has to say?,_ Rhiannon thought to herself and clenched her fists angrily. "Seems like I can't do anything right nowadays."

Maggie just rolled her eyes in response and grit her teeth. Rhiannon noticed her reaction and sighed. They weren't going to get anywhere as long as they were both being stubborn.

"I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry that I didn't come to you about this." Rhiannon finally said but her words did little to tame Maggie's anger.

"You really think a bullshit apology is gonna change anything?" Maggie sneered.

"What the fuck do you want from me?" Rhiannon yelled angrily. "You want me to apologize for almost getting raped? For your precious feelings getting hurt?"

Maggie shook her head, trying to hide the way her face had creased in despair at the word 'rape'. She may have been mad at her sister but it still killed her knowing what she went through.

"You still don't get it do you? You know if I had kept something like this from you, you'd be just as mad as I am now, don't bullshit yourself. You can do whatever you want with no consequences."

"And that's all my fault, right?" Rhiannon spat sarcastically. "Ever since I got back you've been acting like I'm not even apart of this family."

"That's cause you weren't!" Maggie yelled, her eyes brimming with tears. "You spent most of your life distancing yourself and then you come back acting like everything's fine. How do we know you're not gonna leave us behind again?"

Rhiannon stayed silent, breathing heavily. Every single one of Maggie's words felt like a blow to the chest. She felt like she'd just gone twelve rounds with Rocky. Maggie noticed her sister's fallen expression and sniffled. She knew she'd been harsh but this had been nagging at her for so long.

"I know you care about us and I know that has nothing to do with why you left. But it still doesn't make it hurt any less."

"You're mad at me for moving to New York, going to Paris? That was for my career." Rhiannon said, feeling her anger back in full force.

Maggie scoffed. "Twirling around in a tutu's a career?"

Rhiannon grit her teeth painfully. "This isn't the point." She growled, taking a seat on the porch steps and running her hands through her messy hair.

Maggie sighed and relaxed back into her chair, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Look, I always admired you for taking the risk and just doing what you wanted to do, but it hurt knowing you cared more about that than your own family."

"That's not true." Rhiannon said softly.

"It's not? Cause you sure as hell couldn't move out fast enough. We didn't even see you for another four months after that."

Rhiannon sighed. She'd felt guilty about pulling away from her family for years. She realized she'd never really apologized for it. She had to her dad, that night at the bar, but never to her sisters.

"I shouldn't have left like I did. I should've done so many things differently but I can't change it. I can just say sorry and hope you know that things are different now." Rhiannon said sincerely. Maggie nodded slowly and they were caught in a tense silence.

"I never meant to hurt you." Rhiannon spoke softly, blinking rapidly to quell the tears in her eyes.

"Then why didn't you tell us what was going on with Shane? Something like that usually isn't kept from sisters that care about each other." Maggie replied, though with less hostility than before and all that was heard in her voice was sadness.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and stared at her hands that fidgeted in her lap. "Shane threatened me. He knew I figured out what happened with Otis and he said he would hurt me if I told anyone."

"But you told Rick and Daryl?"

"Daryl found out on his own. He heard Shane threaten me. And Rick found out after Shane… attacked me."

Maggie bit her lip in thought. She had never heard Rhiannon sound so beaten down before and she knew her petty attitude wasn't helping at all.

"Why didn't you tell Dad?"

"Dad would've kicked them off the farm. Not just Shane - Rick, Daryl, Lori, Carl...Glenn - they all would've been gone."

Maggie nodded, she could understand that. "Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered, the lump in her throat not letting her speak any louder.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, causing a tear to cascade down her cheek. "I just didn't want you to worry about me."

Maggie sighed in exasperation. "Rhi, you're my sister, I'm always gonna worry about you, just like you worry about me." Rhiannon stayed quiet making Maggie frown. "You've always worried about me and protected me, why can't I do the same for you?" She continued.

"Me not telling you things, that has nothing to do with how much I care about you or this family. I regret everything that happened, how I acted after mom died. I wish I could take it back but I can't so I just have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Maggie felt her heart clench at the sound of her sister's tearful voice. She stood and walked over to where she sat, placing the blanket over their laps as she sat down next to her. Guilt began to settle in.

"I'm the big sister, there are things I don't tell you because I don't want you or Beth to think I'm weak, that I can't look after you." This wasn't just about Shane now. This was why Rhiannon hadn't told them about the man that had broke her heart and scarred her.

Maggie wanted to tell her that was ridiculous but something stopped her. She remembered after she was attacked by the walker at the pharmacy. She was terrified by the near death experience but there was something more. She didn't tell Rhiannon because her big sister was tough, had survived three weeks on her own and Maggie almost didn't make it back from one run. She was embarrassed and now she finally understood.

"I'm sorry." Maggie choked out, feeling her own tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch."

Rhiannon just nodded and leaned against her. "I get it. If the roles were reversed I'd be pissed at you too."

"I'm more pissed that I didn't get to kill Shane myself."

Rhiannon huffed out a weak laugh. "Yeah, me too." She sat up suddenly, making Maggie look at her. "I'm not gonna take off again. I learned from my mistakes. Nothing's gonna keep me from being with this family." She reassured her.

Maggie nodded and smiled softly. That was what she'd been waiting to hear for years. Even though Rhiannon had gotten back to them over a month ago, she felt like this was truly the moment she'd gotten her sister back.

Maggie let out a shaky breath and wrapped her arms around her big sister. "I'm sorry." She cried softly against her shoulder.

Rhiannon tightened her grip on her. "I'm sorry too."

The two sisters stayed like that for awhile, both finding solace in the other's embrace. The creak of the door was what pulled them away. They both looked up and saw Glenn slowly making his way outside, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Everything ok?" He asked, feeling hopeful by the smiles on their faces.

"Yeah, we're ok." Maggie said.

"Good." Glenn sighed in relief. He couldn't take the two of them avoiding each other, it was causing everyone in the group to be tense and he was sure the apocalypse was enough to do that for them.

"Hey, Rhiannon? I think Daryl's waiting for you." Glenn smirked.

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him. She knew the two of them weren't exactly being discrete but she detested when anyone made a comment about them. Most of the time they didn't, not when Daryl was around to scowl at them like they'd turn to stone.

Glenn gave her an innocent smile which she knew was bullshit. Rhiannon turned to Maggie, hoping she was sensible enough to be giving Glenn a glare for his idiocracy but her sister was smiling just as widely.

"You two are unbelievable." Rhiannon muttered and stood up.

"Have fun." Maggie called out as Rhiannon went back inside.

Rhiannon turned and gave her sister a glare but when she saw the content smile on her face, her playful scowl turned into a smile. They nodded at each other, both feeling so relieved that they had worked things out. Things may not have been completely resolved, Rhiannon knew she'd have to keep proving to her family that she meant what she said, that she was finally loyal to them. She just hoped she had the time to do it in this messed up world.

Rhiannon limped to the back of the house where Daryl was. She was sure he'd have something to say about her walking on her injured ankle. She'd thought she'd been taking it easy but according to Daryl, just walking down the stairs was doing too much.

She stepped outside to see him fiddling with his crossbow. The look of relief he sent her made her chuckle. "Have fun with Glenn?"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Guy doesn't stop talking." He grumbled. He was more than a little happy to have her sat next to him once again. "So?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well, Oprah, it seems your advice was right."

Daryl scoffed, hoping that wasn't his new nickname. He much preferred tinman, or even clutz. It warmed his heart though, the fact that she had given him nicknames. It seemed like the kind of thing couples, or close friends do.

 _Are we a couple?_ Just thinking that made his heart beat faster. It was obvious she cared for him and he wasn't hiding from his feelings for her anymore. Did that make them a couple?

The thought was overwhelming. Daryl still felt inadequate so he left the decision up to her. He wasn't going to make assumptions.

His thoughts were interrupted when she laid her head on his shoulder. Daryl couldn't help but smile softly and look down at her. The look in his eyes was one that had never donned his expression before. He looked at her like she'd hung the moon, and for him, she very well had.

Rhiannon's head tipped back causing Daryl to tense slightly, thinking he was about to be caught staring but her gaze went past him as she admired the stars above.

"Supposed to be watching for walkers, not the stars."

Rhiannon smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, It's just...I missed this. I never got to see the stars in the city." She explained.

She brought her eyes down to meet his and they were both struck by the intimacy of the moment. The air around them shifted to something a lot less playful.

She was the first to lean in and they both melted as their lips met. The outside world meant nothing to them, all that did was each other. Daryl had never felt like this in his life. The way she made him feel still scared the shit out of him, but it was a good kind of scared. One he looked forward to.

He tilted his head, deepening the kiss as he leaned into her. His hand moved to her cheek and his fingers twirled in the strands of hair that slightly covered her face. Rhiannon felt shivers at his touch and made a noise of content.

Daryl immediately pulled away, breathing heavily. The noise she made was too much for him to handle and he had to stop before things got out of hand. He shifted slightly, trying to ignore the intense arousal he felt.

He looked down at the ground, berating himself silently. Rhiannon frowned and leaned her forehead against his, letting him know she was still here and she wasn't mad. She didn't want to push him and she never would.

Daryl was surprised by her actions but he leaned into her touch nonetheless. He expected her to pull away, to be angry that he stopped what was an amazing kiss.

He looked up to meet her eyes shyly. The smile she sent him made his nerves dissipate. She wasn't mad at all.

"Thank you, for pushing me. I needed that." She said quietly, closing her eyes in contentment.

"Don't need to thank me for that." He said just as quietly, his eyes watching her carefully. The moonlight shadowed her features giving her an ethereal glow. He swallowed thickly and pulled away slightly. He found he was almost always overwhelmed by her beauty. He felt like he didn't deserve someone like her even paying attention to him.

Rhiannon opened her eyes when she felt him pull away and narrowed her eyes, silently telling him 'get back here right now'.

Daryl just quirked up his lips at the mischievous look on her face and his insecurities were pushed to the back of his mind. He leaned in again and nudged her nose with his before giving her a slow, lingering kiss.

It didn't matter to him if they were a couple or not, this was all he needed and he'd be happy with whatever she was willing to give him.

* * *

The next morning was hectic. Rhiannon and Daryl had barely switched watch shifts when there was a commotion downstairs. There was a herd coming their way.

Bags were packed and loaded frantically. It went a lot slower when people were snatching the bags from her hands because they didn't want her running to the car. But to be fair, her ankle was still very bruised and it was hurting from going up the stairs and then immediately running down them just minutes later.

She had just pulled her sword over the large hoodie she wore when she felt a warm hand on her back.

"Come on." Daryl urged her, guiding her out of the house. He sent a quick nod to Hershel who was eagerly waiting for his daughter by the car that was already started, ready to go.

Hershel sent Daryl a relieved smile and quickly got in the backseat.

Daryl climbed on his bike and turned his body, grabbing Rhiannon's hands to help her climb onto the bike with her injured foot. "You good?" He asked, only turning back around when she nodded. "Hold on." He told her, briefly letting go of the handles to grab her hand and pull her closer to him, to tighten her grip on him.

They sped off quickly, leaving the now infested house behind. Rhiannon sighed as she looked back at the house they were able to get a few days in. She hoped they wouldn't have to spend all winter like this, going from place to place, never knowing how long it would be safe.

She felt Daryl's hand on hers again after a few minutes of driving. Rhiannon smiled and leaned her head against his back.

As long as they stayed together, she knew she could get through this.

* * *

 **I know this chapter is crammed full of dialogue, but I wanted Rhiannon to get some resolution before some more crazy shit happened.**

 **I promise you, the next chapter is action packed! Another one of Rhiannon's secrets will be revealed *evil laugh***

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and all the fluff xx**


	24. Chapter 24

Rhiannon practically bounced down the stairs in excitement. Another week had passed and her ankle was now completely healed and she was finally given the green light to go on runs. Hershel was less than thrilled to give his permission but he knew she was never one to sit still, she'd drive him crazy if she were forced to stay back one more time.

"Rhiannon, wait up!"

She turned on her heel and smiled when she saw Carl running towards her. "Hey, Buddy."

"Are you going on the run today?" He asked excitedly and she was immediately suspicious by his question.

"Yeah." She responded slowly.

"Can I come?" Carl asked hopefully. "You know I can shoot, I saved your life at the farm. I can do this." He immediately defended himself after seeing the look of disbelief on her face, knowing she was going to turn him down.

Rhiannon bit her lip. He wasn't wrong, he did save her life that night. And she knew it would better for everyone the more capable Carl was. It would be one less thing to worry about. But it wasn't her call, she knew that by the look Lori had on her face from where she was standing in the next room.

The mother was protective of her son, even more so after the terrifying couple of minutes she'd had without him, not knowing if he was ok, after the farm fell.

"Talk to your Dad about it." Was all she told him. Carl's shoulders sagged and he nodded sadly. Rhiannon frowned and flicked the edge of the sheriff's hat he always wore, giving him a cheeky smile which made his frown turn into a small smile.

"Carl, come on." Lori called out to him. The young boy huffed in annoyance and practically stomped over to his mother.

Rhiannon met Lori's eyes and gave her a reassuring nod, letting her know she didn't give her son permission to go into danger which made the mother's cold gaze fall into a slightly guilty expression.

Rhiannon was a little fed up with Lori's attitude but she had to remind herself that she wasn't a mother, she didn't know what it was like to raise a child in this kind of danger. She had no right to judge how Lori was handling it.

She just worried that Lori's affiliation with Shane would tarnish the way she saw her. Rhiannon questioned her judge of character for sure, but that didn't make Lori a bad person. She had to remind herself that Lori had no idea what Shane had done and had no part in the hurt he had caused her.

Rhianon shook her head and adjusted the strap of the sheath across her back. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and smile widely as she approached the car where Rick was mulling over the map for the millionth time.

The leader turned when he heard her footsteps and smiled warmly at her. "Glad to see you back on your feet. You sure you're up for this?" He asked, fulfilling his promise to Hershel to try and dissuade her from going. But both men knew that it was pointless.

Rhiannon sighed dramatically. "Come on, Rick. I'm starting to feel like rapunzel with the way you've all been keeping me inside. I need to get off my ass."

"I know, it's just - you never liked to talk about what you went through on your own and now you're back out here. Can't imagine it's been easy on you."

"It's not, but I'm not alone this time around." She stated simply, giving him a shrug.

Rick looked unconvinced. He couldn't imagine anything making this hell seem like anything less than what it was - hell. And he didn't know if it was a good idea for her to go on the run with them.

Rhiannon sighed, noticing her expression. "Would you rather Carl take my place?" She said bluntly causing Rick to hang his head.

"He asked you again?"

"Yeah. Said he should talk to you instead."

Rick nodded, biting his lip. Rhiannon shifted on her feet, contemplating her next words.

"Rick, I know this isn't my place, but maybe you should consider letting him come just once. We can have more gun training, get him more comfortable, we can even scout out a place beforehand to make sure it's safe."

Rick sighed, furrowing his brows. "It wouldn't hurt. He's gotta learn sooner or later." She told him.

He nodded slowly. "I know, I know." He said tiredly, like the thought had ran through his head a million times. "Lori would never let him."

"Yeah, I know." She responded tiredly, though less dejected than Rick had sounded. She could clearly see the strain in his marriage. The couple barely even spoke and when they did they always ended up yelling at each other or storming off.

"You should talk to Carl." She told him, nodding her head over to the window where she noticed the kid looking out.

Rick looked over and sighed. He sent her a weak smile and made his way into the house to let down his son gently, though he knew no matter how he phrased it, Carl was going to be mad about not going on the run.

Rhiannon frowned and shook her head. There was too much fucking drama going on. She turned back to the car and opened the trunk, placing the backpacks in.

"Why are you out here?"

Rhiannon spun on her heel and noticed Daryl walking towards her with scowl on his face.

"Going with you guys." She told him, turning her gaze back to the car to avoid his harsh glare.

"Nah, no way. You ain't goin' out there." He growled.

Rhiannon took in a deep breath to try and calm herself down. Things had been going smoothly between them the last couple of weeks because there was a legitimate reason for her not to go on runs, but now, there was nothing holding her back and she knew Daryl was going to object.

"My ankle is fine. We need stuff for the winter."

"I can get shit for you, no need for you to go out there."

Rhiannon scoffed. "Ok, you're gonna pick up some bras for me?" She almost smiled triumphantly at the blush that coated his cheeks as he sighed in exasperation. It was so easy to get him flustered. "I'll be fine, it's not like I'm going alone."

"That ain't the fuckin' point."

"Than what is?" She yelled back at him, her patience wearing thin. "Jesus, Daryl, I know what I'm doing. Spent more time out here than you."

Daryl scowled even harder, which she didn't think was possible. "That's exactly why you ain't goin'. You think I haven't noticed how paranoid you are 'bout bein' back out here? I ain't stupid." He yelled.

"I didn't say you were!" She exclaimed, deflecting his other words.

Daryl sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "You hardly sleep and when you do, you have nightmares. Don't even try and deny it." He said sternly, noticing the way she had rolled her eyes and would've surely tried to lie about it.

He sighed and stepped closer to her, his hand reaching for hers. He wrapped his pinkie around hers. "What if something happened to you? Don't want you feelin' even worse 'bout bein' on the road again." He said softly.

The way he looked out for her usually made her feel butterflies, but now, she was just plain pissed off.

"Well, believe it or not, Daryl, I'm not as weak as you think I am." Rhiannon tore her hand from his and stepped around him, leaving Daryl wide eyed and angry.

She sent a curt nod to Maggie and Glenn who were making their way to their car. They both frowned and sent each other a look of confusion. They had talked to Rhiannon just five minutes ago and she was nowhere near this angry before.

Rhiannon wanted to groan loudly as the couple sat on either side of her. She didn't want to sit in between the lovebirds but she was the smallest and that meant she had to take the middle seat. Daryl got into the passenger seat and slammed his door shut causing Maggie to jump slightly at the loud noise.

The silence was tense as they waited for Rick and even when he did get in and they were driving, the awkward silence didn't leave them.

Maggie reached over and grabbed Rhiannon's hand making her look up at her sister. Rhiannon saw the questioning look on her face and could only give her a shrug in response. She was mad at Daryl and mad at herself for overreacting. She knew he just wanted to keep her safe but she was tired of everyone treating her like she was so fragile.

Yes, she had a bad experience out on the road, had seen horrible things that still plagued her but that didn't mean she was totally incapable of moving forward. She wanted them to realize that staying back and doing nothing just made it worse, it made her fear fester.

Things with Maggie still weren't a hundred percent. Her trust wouldn't come back in full force overnight but Rhiannon meant what she had said that night they made up, she was willing to spend the rest of her life proving to her family that she was all in and she wasn't going to be stupid or immature anymore.

Maggie sent her sister a smile, though she still had her questions. She was positive Rhiannon's attitude had something to do with Daryl so there was no sense in asking her about it now, while they were crammed in the same car. She didn't want to make things more awkward.

After the short drive that had felt like hours, they arrived at the department store. They needed coats, basically anything warm, for winter. It had yet to snow, but they knew it wasn't far off.

"Alright, Glenn, Maggie and Rhiannon, you guys take the left. Daryl and I take the right. Something happens, you yell." Rick told them.

Daryl was stiff as a statue. He wasn't happy that Rhiannon was out here at all and add to that the fact that he wasn't even going to be with her to watch her back had him just about ready to explode with anger. His eyes flickered over to her and he was surprised to find that she was already looking at him.

Her gaze was much softer than it had been before. She sent him a weak smile and he knew she knew exactly what was going through his mind, his fear of being separated from her. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, he was glad she wasn't still glaring at him like she'd been doing earlier. That was certainly a load off.

Daryl hated when they argued. It wasn't very often, not since he'd gotten his head out of his ass and stopped pretending he didn't feel anything for her. But when they did argue, Daryl felt like he was totally alone, that there was nothing left for him in the group. She was the one that grounded him, the one that made him sit beside her during dinner. And no matter how much he groveled, he actually didn't mind it.

Daryl found he actually enjoyed dinner. While he didn't take part in the conversation, it was enough for him to sit next to Rhiannon and listen to her voice. He was breaking the harsh, lone wolf attitude Merle had instilled in him and it was all because of her. It was all _for_ her.

He shook his head and raised his bow as they entered the store. He sent Rhiannon a stern look to which she just nodded. She knew what he was saying. _Be careful._

The two of them went their separate ways in the store and Rhiannon began to fill the cart Glenn pushed with coats, hats and mittens.

Rhiannon could hear the occasional groan of a walker that was immediately followed by the twang of Daryl's crossbow. She didn't know why, but a smile graced her lips every time. It was just reassuring knowing he wasn't far.

The three of them filled up their cart and once they had everything that was on the list, Rhiannon motioned with her head to the aisle she was going. Glenn sent her a nod and Rhiannon held her weapon in her hand tightly as she walked away from them.

She knew Daryl would kill her if he knew she had wandered off. But it was important. She couldn't keep wearing the same bra every day. She picked out some sports bras, knowing if they had to run, the one she was wearing now would not be useful at all.

She was stuffing the clothes into her bag when she suddenly heard a yelp that was abruptly cut off and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Rhiannon tensed and held onto her sword tightly. She almost jumped out of her skin as she heard the sound of someone getting punched. Muffled curses followed and it was the sinister laugh she heard that made her blood go cold. They weren't alone.

She tensed and froze in her spot as she heard footsteps behind her. She grit her teeth and went to swing her sword when she felt pressure on the back of her head.

"Easy there, honey. Don't wanna do anything stupid now, do we?" A sickly sweet voice said behind her.

Rhiannon breathed heavily and gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. The man saw her weapon and let out a snicker before kicking it out of her hand. She let out a small noise of pain and her sword clattered to the ground.

"Now, why don't you turn around and show me your pretty face."

Rhiannon turned slowly and glared at the man that she now faced. The smile that grew on his face made her insides turn. His leering gaze trailed up and down her body, stopping at her chest.

"Hey, Dan! You ain't gonna believe the beauty I found." He yelled across the room.

"Bring her over here!" She heard a yell back.

The man kicked her sword across the aisle as he stepped toward her and kept him gun aimed at her head. Rhiannon swallowed thickly. Suddenly, her arm was twisted behind her back and she found herself pressed against the man's chest, his muscular arm around her neck as he walked them over to where his friends were.

Rhiannon squirmed in his grip. "Get the fuck off me!" She yelled angrily, trying to kick at his legs.

"Rhi?!" Maggie yelled, hearing her sister's voice. Tears were already forming in her eyes and she squirmed in the man's grip. Her eyes met Glenn's who was glaring fiercely at the man who was touching her.

Glenn, Rick, Maggie and Daryl were on their knees, guns trained at their heads. Their weapons had been roughly taken from them and were now in the other's hands. Daryl had perked up at the sound of Rhiannon's voice. His heart was racing and he quickly got to his feet, punching the man in front of him across the jaw.

He grunted as he felt a blow to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him and he was roughly thrown down to the floor.

He coughed and panted, staring up defiantly into the barrel of the gun pointed at his head.

"Now, now. Don't want me to pop off one of your friends, do ya?" The man teased him, smiling viciously.

Daryl's glare was unwavering and it wasn't until he heard her voice again that he tore his attention away. It felt like the air was stolen from his lungs as he watched her get dragged in and pushed down onto her knees. He wanted nothing more than to lunge across the room and strangle the man that touched her. He didn't care if he got shot.

His glare fizzled as she looked up and their eyes met. Her wide, fearful eyes stirred something in him, a fear he'd never felt before.

"We don't wanna hurt any of ya, seem like nice folks. Just wanna see what you got." One of the men, presumably their leader said.

"Wouldn't mind having a turn with those beauties." The one holding the gun to Rick's head piped up.

Rick heard Daryl's low growl from beside him and he nudged his foot with his slightly to get his attention, to warn him not to do anything, but the man refused to look away from Rhiannon and the gun trained on her.

"Which one should we start with?"

"I like this one, she's got bigger tits."

Rhiannon yelped as she was dragged by her hair into the middle of the crowd, now in front of everyone.

"No! Let her go!" Maggie cried.

The man in front of Daryl smacked him upside the head with his gun as he tried to lunge forward again. Rick stared at Rhiannon fearfully and he turned his head to spare a gaze to the man beside him. He could see Daryl shaking in anger.

Rick sighed and dropped his gaze down to the floor in defeat, he didn't know how they were getting out of this. They had the same amount of people as the men standing in front of them, but they didn't have their weapons.

Rick's eyes jumped back up as he heard Rhiannon struggle. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as the man leaned over her and practically groped her right in front of them.

"Easy, honey. Ain't gonna hurt ya, not if you cooperate with us." He whispered in her ear making her cringe.

Tears were stinging her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She didn't want them knowing how scared she was.

"We'll be outta your hair soon enough." The man on top of her said, now speaking to everyone. "Just gonna have some fun with this one here." He tightened his grip on her wrists as he spoke making her whimper and scratch at his forearms.

The sound she let out made Daryl flinch. His eyes were locked on hers and Rhiannon wanted to cry. She'd never seen him so scared before.

"When we're done with you, we'll have some fun with her next." His leering gaze moved to Maggie.

Suddenly, all the fear Rhiannon felt morphed into a white hot rage. Maggie cried quietly, her lip trembling and her body shaking with each breath. She was terrified, for herself, for her sister, for Glenn.

Rhiannon's eyes narrowed as she looked at the man on top of her. She barely even flinched when he unzipped the jacket she wore and started tearing at the collar of her shirt.

She heard a commotion and turned her head to see Daryl getting held back as he struggled wildly to get to her.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Daryl yelled.

Rhiannon pushed at the man on top of her, her nails scratched his face as she fought back on his tight grip. The man was getting angry, she could tell by the way his grip tightened painfully. He growled and gripped onto her hair, lifting her body off the floor slightly and he violently threw her down.

Rhiannon let out a noise of pain as her tailbone hit the tiled floor roughly. She thought of Maggie, thought of this bastard touching her sister and she refused to let him win. She squirmed under him, using her knee to kick at his chest, which knocked him back a few feet.

The man grit his teeth and stood. Rhiannon wanted to sigh in relief but the feeling was short lived as he swiftly kicked at her back. She cried out and slumped over on her side. She panted heavily, trying to breathe through the pain. Her body jolted as he sent two more kicks to her back.

The noise around her was a dull hum. The sound of Maggie's cries and Daryl's shouts were echoing and muffled.

She was suddenly pushed onto her back which made her wince. The man crawled ontop of her again and ripped her shirt down the middle, exposing her bra. Her chest heaved and she finally let a few tears run down her cheeks.

"I was gonna go easy on you, honey, guess I gotta teach you a lesson." He drawled menacingly.

Rhiannon stiffened, her eyes widening in fear. She remembered the last time someone said that to her, Shane had just seen her scars. _Guess I'm not the first guy to teach you a lesson._

The fear she felt turned to anger once again. She was angry that they dared to touch Maggie, angry that they were touching her the same way _he_ had. The memory of Shane was enough to get a fire started in her.

Her eyes flickered over to Daryl and he was struck by the determination in her gaze, rather than the fear he expected to see. He noticed her moving her leg upwards and he saw the blade that was hidden in her boot. He nodded to her slowly and sent Rick a look.

Rick furrowed his brows at Daryl, wondering why he had suddenly stopped fighting with the man that held him back.

It all happened so fast.

The man on top of her moved to the button of her jeans and she had her window of opportunity. She moved quick as lightning as she grabbed the blade in her boot and slashed blindly above her.

She kept her eyes glued to his and watched as they widened in surprise and then dulled with pain. The blood gushing from his neck rained down on her and she tilted her head upwards so it didn't get in her mouth.

She was frozen in shock, her eyes stayed on the sight of the deep gash in the man's throat. She didn't even pay attention to the fight around her. As soon as she had pulled that blade out, Daryl had tackled the man in front of him and grabbed his gun, putting a satisfying bullet in his head. Rick, Glenn and Maggie had followed his lead. Thankfully the rest of the men had been in shock as they watched their leader bleed out and taking them out was easy.

Rhiannon lay on the floor trembling. Her shaking hands pushed at the dead weight that had fallen on her and she crawled out from under him. She looked down at herself and wanted to throw up at the sight of the blood that covered her whole upper body. She could feel the sticky warmth of it on her neck and exposed chest.

She started to breathe heavily and let out a pitiful sob. A hand touched her shoulder and she flinched. When she realized it was Maggie she began to cry harder, much like her sister was already doing.

"I killed him." Rhiannon sobbed weakly.

"It's ok, you're ok, you're ok." Maggie said, running a hand through her hair as she hugged her tightly. She didn't even care about the blood.

"Come on, let's clean you up." Maggie said softly, noticing how Rhiannon stared down at her blood stained skin in disgust and shock.

"Can you go find some towels?" She told Daryl who stood frozen in his spot, his soft gaze planted on Rhiannon who was curled up in hers sister's arms like a child. "Daryl!" Maggie yelled, snapping his gaze to hers.

The hunter nodded slowly and reluctantly turned away from her. He didn't want to leave her side for a second, not when she was like this.

Glenn handed Maggie the flannel he wore under his jacket and she began to wipe the blood from Rhiannon's chest.

Rhiannon stayed quiet, only sniffling every couple of seconds. Each time she did it was like a knife in Maggie's chest. She let out a shaking breath and felt Glenn squeeze her shoulder. She looked up at him through her tears.

The look on his face was something she'd never seen before. He was still angry at what had happened, he was scared that things had come so close to the indescribable horror, and he was sad. Sad that the strong woman in front of him, the woman who had thoroughly intimidated him at first, looked so broken and terrified.

Once Maggie had wiped up what she could and Glenn's shirt was thoroughly soaked with red, she zipped her jacket back up so no one would see her so exposed.

Maggie eyed her sister sadly. Her neck and chin were covered in blood. There were even a few red specks on her cheeks and forehead.

She turned her head as Daryl sat next to her, a pile of towels in his hands.

"I got it." He told her quietly and she watched in fascination as he began to gently wipe at Rhiannon's neck.

Maggie was happily shocked at how sweet the hunter was being with her sister. She'd never seen this side of Daryl and she was finally beginning to see why Rhiannon was so smitten with him.

Rick and Glenn grabbed their bags and snatched the weapons from the bodies that littered the floor, trying to make themselves feel at least a little bit useful as they carried them out to the car so they could get the hell out of there.

Glenn motioned with his head for Maggie to follow him. She hesitated, glancing back at her sister. She didn't want to leave her, but she noticed the way Daryl's hands trembled and she knew she needed to give the two of them some time to themselves.

Maggie stood and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Rhiannon's head. She walked towards Glenn who waited for her with his hand outstretched. Maggie eagerly latched onto him, hiding her face in his chest as they walked past the bodies of the men who could've ruined them.

"She's gonna be ok." Glenn whispered, pressing his lips to the side of her head. Maggie didn't say anything, she just looked over her shoulder at the secret couple, her eyes filled with longing to go back and be with her sister. "He's got her, she'll be ok." Glenn told her and Maggie was finally able to tear her eyes away and walk out of the store.

Rhiannon's body shook like she was standing out in the cold with nothing on. Her vulnerability at the moment certainly made it feel that way too. Her head turned and her eyes locked onto the man sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood.

Daryl grasped her chin with his finger and moved her gaze back to him. He didn't want her looking at that.

"I killed him." She said again. Her voice no longer wrecked with her sobs, it was now emotionless and empty.

"You had to. You saved yourself, saved Maggie. You did the right thing." He reassured her as he continued to wipe away the blood that marred her beautiful face.

"I know I had to, but-" She stopped, her eyes filling with tears again.

"I know." Daryl whispered. She had still killed someone. Even if they deserved it, even if it was self defense, it didn't make it any easier. She had taken a life and that wasn't easy an easy thing to get comfortable with.

Rhiannon moved her gaze up to meet his and he felt a lump in his throat at the sight of her watering eyes that were filled with fear and anger. It wasn't at all like the mischievous and happy brown eyes he was used to seeing.

"I'm sorry." He breathed out, hardly able to speak he was so overcome with emotions. "I shouldn't've left your side."

Rhiannon shook her head, her face creasing with a frown. She reached out and laced her fingers through his. Daryl let out a shaking breath and leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Rhiannon closed her eyes, reveling in his gentle touch. The moment wasn't just for her, but she knew Daryl would never admit it. He was shaken just as she was and needed her close just like she needed him.

"We should get going." Rick spoke up, startling the couple and breaking them from their close embrace.

Daryl blushed and hid his face from the leader. He hadn't even heard him come back. Rick smiled softly at the sight of them. He hated interrupting but he didn't want to stay there any longer than they had to and he was sure they both felt the same way.

Daryl held Rhiannon's hands in his and he stood slowly, gently helping her up from the floor. Rhiannon winced, her shoulders tensing at the pain in her lower back. That asshole had kicked hard and she was sure there would be bruises. _Not like my back was in good condition to begin with._

Rick rushed to help, holding his hand on her back to steady her as Daryl got her to her feet. He took a step back once she was standing but held his hand out, ready to help if she needed it. Judging by the grip Daryl had on her as his arm wound around her waist, Rick doubted she'd need his help.

She walked out of the store, not allowing herself to look at the bodies that lay around them. She moved slowly, her back screaming in pain with each step.

Her heart was racing. She was hurt, people would want to check her back and make sure nothing was broken. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't let anyone see what marred her skin. She knew eventually it was something she would share with Daryl but she wasn't ready for that conversation any time soon.

Rhiannon stayed quiet as she was ushered into the car. Everyone was quiet and tense as they drove off.

Rhiannon lay with her legs curled into her body, practically sitting on Maggie's lap as she ran a comforting hand through her hair. Her mind was overcome with the images of the man bleeding out on top of her. No matter how tight she squeezed her eyes shut, it wouldn't go away.

It was too soon that they pulled up to the house they were staying in. There was a collective intake of breath as they noticed Hershel, who was taking watch on the front porch, wave to them with a relieved smile on his face.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and tried to hide her wince as she was helped out of the car. She averted her eyes from her dad, she didn't want to see the look on his face when he noticed her blood stained skin.

"What happened?" Hershel's voice wavered. Rhiannon felt a new wave of tears flood her eyes at the sound of her father's fear stricken voice and spared a glance at him.

His wide eyes met hers and he felt his own tears begin to form at the sight of her quivering bottom lip and doe eyed expression. It was like she was a child again, crying in his lap after her mother had died. That was the only other time he'd seen her so distraught.

"Ran into some trouble." Rick said vaguely. He'd been racking his brain the whole ride back, trying to figure out how he was going to tell the man he respected so highly that his daughter had been assaulted.

Daryl had his arm around her once again as he gingerly helped her up the steps and into the house. They were immediately swarmed with questions from the others and Daryl was ready to snap at them when he noticed the look on Rhiannon's face, like she wanted to be anywhere else.

Beth ran up to her sister and placed a shaking hand over her mouth. "What happened?" She cried out, reaching for her sister. Rhiannon whimpered as Beth wrapped her arms around her causing her little sister to jump back and look at her in concern.

"Give her some damn space." Daryl snapped angrily. He knew Rhiannon would make him regret snapping at her little sister but after everything that had happened, his mind was all over the place and he wasn't able to think clearly.

The crowd parted instantly and Daryl was able to guide her to the couch. Rhiannon sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes at the small amount of relief she was able to get. She was ignoring everyone's questions, she just couldn't deal with it at the moment.

"We should look at your back, make sure everything's ok."

Rhiannon snapped her eyes open and she began to shake her head. "No, no, I'm ok. It's just a little sore."

Hershel sighed and sat on the coffee table in front of her so they were eye level. He grabbed her hands in his. "Baby girl, I know you're scared, anyone would be after what happened. We just need to make sure nothing's broken."

Rhiannon shook her head again and a few tears fell from her eyes. He was right, she was scared, but not for the reason he was thinking, what everyone was thinking.

"Rhiannon-"

"No!" She yelled loudly, tearing her hands away from her father's grasp. "No, I can't." She repeated, sounding frantic and scared.

"Ok, everybody out. Now!" Carol snapped at them which earned a few looks of surprise. "Just give us a couple of minutes alone." She said to Hershel who looked less than enthused to leave his daughter's side and even more confused as to what was going on.

The rest of the group filed out of the room slowly, giving Rhiannon sympathetic looks as they passed. Daryl was the last one and he hovered in the door, ready to flat out refuse Carol's words.

"Daryl." Carol warned softly. She placed a hand on his arm and was grateful when he didn't flinch. His eyes never strayed from Rhiannon and Carol was sure he was so focused on her that he didn't even notice her touch. "She'll be ok, you can see her in a few minutes."

Daryl shifted on his feet. He wanted to go to Rhiannon, wrap her in a hug, do _something_ for her. But with the way Carol's eyes were trained on him, he knew he couldn't do anything. He sighed and bowed his head, walking out the room like a kicked puppy. Carol sighed, feeling bad for kicking him out, and closed the fancy french doors that separated the rooms.

Rhiannon wiped at her tears, feeling embarrassed that she had let them fall in front of everyone. Carol sat on the couch next to her and put her arm around her shoulder, bringing her into a hug.

"I know you don't want to do this but you can't keep dodging their questions."

"Carol, I can't tell them. I'm not ready to talk to about it."

"Honey, just a few days ago you told me you felt so much better that you had come clean about Shane. You said the weight had been lifted from your shoulders. I know this is hard, but maybe it's for the better. You don't have to carry the burden by yourself anymore." Carol told her softly. She could understand Rhiannon's fear more than anyone. She knew that fear very well, the shame of someone seeing the bruises her husband had given her. Only, Rhiannon had something a lot worse than bruises on her back.

Rhiannon leaned her elbows on her knees and hide her face in her hands. "I can't do it." She cried quietly.

Carol frowned. Rhiannon didn't see herself the way Carol did. She didn't see the strength Carol did. She thought she was weak because of what happened to her, she couldn't understand that getting through it made her strong.

"Rhiannon, you're stronger than you think. You can do this."

Rhiannon shook her head and sniffled, trying to hold onto her last shred of courage. She was surprised she had any left after everything that happened. She gnawed at her bottom lip nervously as she contemplated her decisions.

After a few seconds she sighed in defeat. Her body relaxed as she realized that she really _didn't_ have a decision. It wasn't her choice to keep the secret anymore. She _had_ to talk about it.

Carol saw the acceptance on her face and inwardly sighed. She helped get her jacket off and had to stifle her gasp at the sight of her ripped shirt and the red tint her skin had taken.

"Oh, honey." Carol breathed out, wrapping her arms around Rhiannon tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"You really think I can do this?" Rhiannon asked, her voice holding an innocence Carol had never heard from her before.

"I know you can. I'm gonna get your dad, ok?"

Rhiannon looked up, her lips parting as though she was about to protest but nothing came out. She tensed as Carol got up, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

She couldn't take in Carol's words. The weight that had lifted off her shoulders after coming clean about Shane, the potential weight that could be lifted soon were the lasts things on her mind. All she could think of was what she was going to reveal, the atrocities she'd been through that she didn't ever want to repeat.

The group waited patiently, others waited not so patiently. Daryl tapped his foot incessantly, causing Rick to look over at him in annoyance. He was worried too but the hunter wasn't helping anything by lashing out at everyone that tried to speak to him.

Daryl sprung up from his seat as Carol opened the door a crack. "Hershel." She called for him, opening the door wider so he could step in.

Daryl wanted to scream and kick the door down when it was closed in his face for the second time. _The fuck is going on in there?_ , he wondered, a feeling of dread creeping up his spine.

Hershel gave his eldest daughter a weak smile. He was confused and worried to say the least.

"What's going on, Baby girl?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. He noticed the way she held her shirt together in her fist and it made his blood boil in anger and freeze in fear at the same time.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and glanced up at Carol. The fear in her eyes made both of the adults shift in their places. Carol gave the young woman a reassuring nod, already feeling tears well in her eyes. She couldn't imagine the fear Rhiannon was feeling at the moment.

But Carol also couldn't believe the courage she saw as Rhiannon turned slowly, biting her lip to stifle a sound of pain, and raise the back of her shirt with shaking hands.

Hershel Greene had no words to describe what he felt in that moment. The sight of the small circular burns and the small letter that had been carved into her pale skin made his heart drop down to his toes, maybe out of his body, if he thought that were possible.

"W-what - you - who?" Hershel stammered, his voice breaking.

Rhiannon stayed silent, she felt like her throat was closing in on itself and she wasn't able to breathe.

"A boyfriend." Carol chimed in, knowing Rhiannon wasn't going to speak up after her prolonged silence. "It happened a while ago and she was able to get away from him." She added, hoping to steer Hershel's thoughts from the torture his daughter had gone through to her act of bravery by leaving the man that scared her.

Hershel's wide, teary eyes looked up at Carol in shock. He felt a little disheartened that Carol, a woman who was nothing more than a stranger just months ago, knew something so personal about his daughter that he didn't know.

"I saw them by accident." Carol told him, knowing exactly what the hurt look on his face had meant.

"Can you give us a minute?" Hershel asked her, though there was no animosity or malice in his voice. Just pure hurt and sadness.

Carol nodded and squeezed the old man on the shoulder. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Rhiannon's head, whispering a good luck before she left.

Rhiannon wiped her eyes and felt like the silence in the room was suffocating her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She finally spoke, her voice rough and raspy from crying.

"I understand why you didn't."

Rhiannon turned back around and wrapped her arms around herself. The look on her father's face was something she never wanted to see. He wasn't disappointed in her, thank god, he was just utterly devastated that something so terrible had happened to her.

"Did I meet him?" Hershel asked. Now, Rhiannon could see the anger on his face at his question. _Did I meet the bastard that hurt you?_

"Yeah. He was at one of my recitals a couple of years ago."

"Alex." Hershel said quietly. He squeezed his eyes shut and his hands clenched into fists, he remembered the man. He'd been polite, had even brought flowers for his little girl on her big night. For some reason, that just made him angrier, like the brat had tricked his daughter into falling for a monster.

"How many times did he hurt you?" Hershel asked, dreading the answer.

"Just once. We fought a lot but he only physically hurt me once. I left the next day." She told him.

Hershel nodded slowly. He didn't know why he asked, he didn't know why he needed to know, it didn't make the situation any more bearable.

"Does he hurt you still?"

Rhiannon's lip began to tremble as she tried to hold in her sobs. _Do you have nightmares about him? Does his memory haunt you?_ These were questions she asked herself everyday.

"Sometimes. I try not to think about it, and some days I don't but other times all I can see is him and how he hurt me. But it doesn't scare me anymore. It just makes me mad now."

Hershel felt his lip quirk up slightly despite the intense sadness he was feeling at the moment. Even though his baby girl had been hurt, had been betrayed by the man that was supposed to love her, she was taking it in strides, moving past her fear. She was still his Rhiannon, his fierce little girl that doesn't put up with anyone's shit.

"I'm proud of you." Hershel said. Rhiannon's eyes widened and she moved her gaze to meet his for the first time since he'd stepped in the room.

"Why?" Her voice cracked as a few tears fell down her already tear stained cheeks.

"You're so strong. Just like your mother, you've always persevered through anything life threw at you. And you didn't give that asshole a second chance." Hershel told her with a soft smile. Rhiannon let out a light laugh at the sound of her dad swearing.

He wiped at his own watering eyes and moved forward so he was sitting next to her on the couch to wipe her tears. "Don't blame yourself or worry about me being mad that you didn't tell me. That's in the past and you can't change it."

Rhiannon closed her eyes and leaned her head on her father's chest as he cradled her in his arms like he'd done when she was a child.

Hershel sighed as he held her close. He didn't know how to comfort her, this wasn't something he was expecting he'd have to do. He experienced abuse as a child, his own father was a violent man, but her situation was different. She chose to trust a man and he betrayed her. Hershel on the other hand, had no choice in the matter, you couldn't pick your family.

"You know, my father was the meanest man you'd ever meet. I couldn't leave, I had to stay and take every horrible thing he wanted to inflict on me. I was scared to move out though, even when I was old enough to leave, I had my doubts. I didn't know if I could handle the world alone. He passed away before I could make my choice to be brave."

Rhiannon listened intently to her father's words. It was upsetting to hear that her father had been hurt as a child but there was a part of her that felt more connected to him, more understanding of the kind of man he was. She frowned slightly, not knowing where he was going with this.

"But, you're different." Hershel continued, a small smile on his weathered features. "You were able to make that brave decision and face the world on your own. I'll never stop being proud of you for that."

Rhiannon sniffled and leaned into her father even more. "I love you." She whispered, holding him tighter.

"I love you too, baby girl." He whispered back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Nothing's going to hurt you again."

Her father's words almost broke her. Her heart beat fast but in a good way, in a way that held no fear.

Carol was right, she felt lighter. Not just showing the scars, but actually talking about it, hearing his name, it was like each word had lifted a pound off her shoulders. She felt closer to her father, she even felt more mature, knowing she had confided in him and not shied away and ignored him like she always used to do as a stupid teenager.

But one thing lingered in the back of her mind. _How do I tell Daryl?_

* * *

 **Sooo that was quite the whirlwind. Rhiannon's first kill! She took that dude out gone girl style.**

 **I'm sorry I didn't add Daryl's reaction to her scars, the chapter would've been like 20k words if I had, but I promise you won't be waiting long.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading and thank you for your comments xx**


	25. Chapter 25

Daryl stabbed at his food with more force than necessary. It had been hours since they'd gotten back from the run and he still hadn't seen her.

Carol had come out of the room with tears in her eyes and that certainly didn't sit well with him.

Maggie and Beth had gone to see her and Carol had made it clear to all of them that the family was to be left alone. She made sure to give Daryl a stern look as she spoke, knowing just how desperate he was.

He was going crazy just sitting there listening to the conversations around him. He couldn't understand how people could just act like nothing happened. It didn't make any sense to him, did they not see the state Rhiannon was in? Were they not freaking out like he is?

He almost jumped across the table to tackle Rick when he asked him to go out for a hunt tomorrow.

Daryl looked up eagerly as those closed doors that had been mocking him for hours finally opened. His hope quickly dwindled and he frowned deeply as he saw Maggie, Beth and Hershel step out of the room with somber expressions, the girls even looked like they'd been crying.

"What's going on?" Rick asked, his brow furrowing with worry.

"She's asleep now." Maggie said, feigning a smile. The last couple of hours had been a whirlwind on her emotions and she was sure no one was buying her fake smile.

No one asked any questions. They were all curious but they knew it wasn't their place to pry, especially after the day Rhiannon had. That poor girl needed some space.

"Is her back ok?" Carol asked, giving Hershel a look that no one else but Maggie and Beth knew how deep it really was.

"Yeah. We used that muscle cream we found upstairs. She said it felt better."

Daryl could feel himself relax, just slightly, at hearing that. He was still very much on edge though. He still hadn't seen her and now her family wasn't making him feel much better about it. They were all acting strange.

"Someone needs to be taking watch in that front room" Rick reminded them.

Maggie and Beth's eyes widened and they shared looks of fear before turning to their father for help. Hershel was just as helpless, he didn't know what to tell Rick.

"I'll go." Daryl spoke up causing all heads turn towards him. He shifted in his seat under their gaze.

Hershel looked like he wanted to object but he sighed after a few seconds, giving him a tired smile and a simple nod. He didn't want to make that decision for Rhiannon, god knows the universe had taken the control from her today, but he knew Daryl was special to her. He knew Rhiannon trusted him and that the two of them had a bond he'd never seen his daughter have with anyone before.

"Daddy." Beth reprimanded him, looking shocked that he even considered letting someone see her sister like that. "I don't think Rhiannon wants anyone seeing her right now."

Daryl held in a scoff. He couldn't help but feel hurt by her words.

"I think don't think Rhiannon would mind his company." Hershel told Beth and his eyes moved over to Daryl giving him a reassuring nod.

Daryl felt his cheeks heat up and he quickly looked back down at the food in front of him. He finished eating and soon enough everyone was heading upstairs to their rooms.

The Greene's stayed close together, barely giving a convincing 'goodnight' as they left.

Daryl stood and grabbed his crossbow to sling over his shoulder as Carol moved past him to get to the stairs but she stopped abruptly.

She turned, looking at Daryl like she wanted to say something but she stayed quiet. The look on her face was soft and sad, like she was feeling sorry for him.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her in confusion and before he could ask she was scurrying away.

Carol cursed under her breath as she walked up the stairs. She wanted to warn him in some way, wanted to tell him to be ready. She couldn't even imagine the onslaught of emotions that came with finding out someone you care about so deeply had been hurt so bad. She just hoped Daryl could keep it together and not lose his temper on a man he didn't even know.

Once Daryl was alone, he finally felt like he could take in a deep, calming breath. He was nervous and he didn't know why. He'd spent enough time with Rhiannon in the past month to feel comfortable around her. But this was different. Sure, he'd seen her hurt before, had been there for the aftermath of Shane, but something in his head was telling him this was different.

He felt a strange clenching in his stomach. Fear, he thought it was. But he didn't know what there was to be afraid of.

Maybe he was just scared that he couldn't comfort her the way she needed. Daryl had never been one for emotions and he knew Rhiannon deserved someone leagues ahead of him, but for some reason she saw it differently. He would never understand her logic in picking him, but he was grateful, nonetheless.

He sighed deeply and opened the door slowly, stepping into the dark room as quietly as possible. His lips twitched into a brief smile when he saw her figure laying on the couch. It was like he could finally breathe again after seeing her relaxed and unharmed.

Daryl stepped towards her, he wanted to move the strand of blonde hair that had fallen in front of her face, he wanted to plant a soft kiss to her forehead like he'd done earlier, he wanted to do _anything_ to give her the relief she deserved, the assurance that he was there for her.

The moonlight filtered into the room, the only light that he had, and it wasn't until he was closer to her that he had noticed what exactly it had been illuminating.

Daryl went stiff as stone, his whole body felt cold like he'd just jumped into a freezing lake. He squeezed his eyes shut, wondering if they were playing tricks on him. When he opened them again his breaths stuttered and he let out a helpless, soft noise that could have been a gasp, it could have even been a whimper, he didn't know.

It wasn't the faint bruises he had expected to see that had shaken him. It was the burns and the scarred initial that was etched into her skin. It caused a wave of emotions to wash over him, making him feel like he was about to be knocked over.

He took a step backwards, almost stumbling on his own feet and his grip on his bow loosened, causing it to fall to the floor carelessly.

Rhiannon jerked awake, the clatter of the weapon on the hardwood floor startling her. She breathed deeply to calm herself, but she could feel eyes on her. She knew what they were seeing and her body stayed tense and unmoving.

They stayed silent, both of their minds running a mile a minute as each agonizing, tense second passed.

Daryl's eyes began to swim with tears, something that felt foreign to him. He ran a hand over his tired face and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes, trying to stop them from watering.

He couldn't comprehend what he was feeling. All his life he felt worthless and used because of what he carried on his back. The scars his dad gave him were a constant reminder that he was nothing, they told him that he didn't deserve her.

But seeing those vile marks on her own body, the body he found himself fantasizing about on a daily basis, the one he imagined with perfect, soft skin - it changed everything.

After Rhiannon had seen his scars that night he'd been injured, he figured she'd turn her back on him, that she'd rather spend her time with someone less damaged.

He thought back to her words that night. _A lot of people have scars they're ashamed of._ He remembered thinking there was a deeper meaning to her words, but he never would have guessed that _this_ was what she meant.

It had always blown Daryl away that Rhiannon could understand him so well. She always said the right thing and knew exactly how to bring him down from his unpredictable temper. She had confided in him about feeling like an outcast in her family and had unknowingly made Daryl feel better that he had felt that way his whole life.

But knowing she had scars, had no doubt felt the same shame that had been plaguing him all his life, it was too overwhelming to think about.

Daryl silently walked past her, trying his best to keep his eyes off of the marks on her lower back. He took a seat on the windowsill, turning his body so he was facing away from her. He didn't want to look at her right now. After she'd seen his scars, all he wanted was to disappear, to pull the blankets over his head and hide until she left.

He knew the shame she was feeling right now and he didn't want to pressure her with the millions of questions he had.

Rhiannon's eyes followed Daryl's tense form as he stalked over to the other side of the room. She tried not to feel rejected as he didn't spare a glance at her, she knew he was overwhelmed and that she shouldn't take it personally.

Daryl unclenched his fists when they began to feel sore, he hadn't even realized how tight his own grip was. The rage inside of him bubbled below the surface, ready to explode like a geyser. Knowing that someone had hurt her sent him into a tizzy. He wanted to strangle the man that dared to put his hands on her that way, wanted to put a bullet between his eyes and smile while he did.

It was bad enough seeing her so distraught at the barn, and then when she'd been bleeding and traumatized after Shane. But _this,_ this was so much worse. She would always have that constant reminder on her skin and it made Daryl furious.

He knew how awful it was for _him._ He hated that she had to go through that too.

Rhiannon pushed against the cushion below her, forcing herself to sit up. She let out a small noise of pain, causing Daryl's eyes to snap over to her in worry.

They both swallowed nervously as their gazes met. Rhiannon's breathing hitched as she noticed the expression on his face. He looked devastated, she'd never seen him look so broken down before.

She knew he didn't want to talk about his scars, he never brought them up again after she'd seen them and she hated that this was making him think about them again. _Though, if he's anything like me, he probably never stops thinking about them._

"You should stay layin' down." His gruff voice broke the silence, causing her heart to jump. Even his voice was laced with sadness, she couldn't stand it.

"You're not gonna ask about them?" She said quietly.

Daryl shrugged. "A lotta people have scars they're ashamed of. 'M not gonna make you relive it." He said, mimicking what she had said to him the night she'd seen them, word for word.

Rhiannon's face creased as she tried hard not to cry, feeling touched at his words. She let out a shaking breath and furiously wiped away the tear that had managed to fall.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you." Her small voice whispered.

Daryl shook his head firmly, clenching his jaw. _She_ shouldn't be the one apologizing. "Don't." He told her, trying not to get angry. He hated that she always took the blame, that she always felt responsible for everyone else's problems.

"No, it was shitty of me to keep it to myself after I saw yours. I know how they can make you feel so alone and worthless, I should've told you so you didn't have to feel that way."

"Ain't your job to make me feel better."

"I wouldn't mind if it was." Rhiannon told him, bravely looking him in the eye. She watched as he blinked in surprise at her words. Even in the darkness of the room, she could see his blush.

"You shouldn't feel guilty." He told her, his voice quiet.

Rhiannon nodded, surprised that she actually felt relieved at his words. Usually when people told you not to feel guilty it was like telling a person with depression to 'cheer up', it was just plain stupid. But when Daryl told her she believed it wholeheartedly. He wasn't one to spout bullshit, at least not when he wasn't angry.

The two of them sat in silence, a million thoughts and explanations hanging over them heavily. Daryl fidgeted with his fingers in his lap. He thought over her words. _I know how they can make you feel so alone and worthless._ Daryl felt his heart constrict, she knew exactly what he'd felt all his life. It was just one more thing that made her so damn perfect to him.

 _I should've told you so you didn't feel alone._

Daryl felt his palms beginning to sweat and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "They're from my dad." He said bluntly.

Rhiannon looked up at him in shock. Was he really going to tell her? She couldn't help but start to feel guilty again, like she'd forced him into opening up.

"Daryl, you don-"

"I want to. I trust you, shoulda told you awhile ago." Daryl said honestly. The touched look on Rhiannon's face warmed him in a way that was slowly becoming familiar to him with her around.

"He was a mean drunk. Got worse after my ma died. Merle got most of it but he got sent to juvie, then prison, and then it was just me."

"Did you leave?"

Daryl nodded. "Merle came back an' we got the fuck outta there. Just spent our days travelling 'round, doin' nothin' important."

"What happened to your dad?"

"Dunno. Doubt he's still alive, liver prolly quit on him years ago."

"Good." That one word made Daryl's inside clench in a way that it usually did with her around. He nodded slowly, reveling in the light feeling in his chest that was so unfamiliar to him.

Daryl let out a slow breath and leaned against the wooden window frame. She was the only person he'd ever told and he was glad he did.

The two of them sat in silence. It was slowly becoming more comfortable like it usually was between them.

Rhiannon felt like her brain was short circuiting, she had too many things to say to him. She sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Daryl frowned, noticing her agitation. "You don't gotta say anythin' just cause I did." He told her.

"I trust you." She said simply, referring back to his words to her. She sighed and leaned her head back against the couch. "His name was Alex."

That explained the jagged 'a' carved into her skin. Just that simple detail made his rage return in full force. Daryl clenched his fists and breathed deeply, reminding himself that he needed to stay calm as she spoke. His anger wouldn't help her.

"We had the same group of friends so us getting together was pretty much inevitable." She stopped, taking in a deep breath as she bit at her bottom lip. She hadn't spoken about Alex in a long time, even her closest friends in New York had no idea the real reason their relationship had ended.

"He was really sweet at first. We even moved in together. It was the first time I was smart in a relationship, first time that I took it seriously." She laughed bitterly, shaking her head.

"Rhiannon-" Daryl spoke up, noticing the tear that ran down her cheek. He didn't want her to push herself. He didn't want her to open up old wounds just to reciprocate for him.

She shook her head. She needed to do this, she needed to finally talk about him. "He got into the wrong crowd, started doing drugs. I didn't think anything of it at first, he would just come home in the middle of the night completely wasted and high. But it started getting worse. We fought a lot, I told him I was gonna leave if he kept doing it."

Daryl frowned, he knew all about that. He had threatened Merle too many times to count but for some reason he still stayed beside his brother and carried him out of the gutter each time.

"One night, Alex came home and I knew it was different. It wasn't like when he was stoned or coked out of his head, it was worse. I think it was meth, I'm not really sure. We started fighting again and then it got physical. It was the first time he hit me and I was ready to walk out that door, but he just kept going."

Daryl felt his whole body twitch in anger. He couldn't believe that someone had hurt her, that some idiot had her trust and blew it. The rage that consumed him slowly gave way to his sadness as he heard her sniffle and saw her wipe her tears.

Daryl wanted nothing more than to storm over to her. He longed to wipe her tears and wrap his arms around her. He liked when she rested her head on his chest, it made him feel like her protector.

"I left in the middle of the night while he was sleeping. The whole week after he tried to call me but he got the hint pretty fast and stopped trying."

"He still alive?" Daryl asked, his grip on his bow tightening. Part of him hoped the asshole died a painful death, but another part of him wished he was still around so Daryl could have the honour of ending him. No one that hurts a woman deserves to live, especially one that hurt _her._

"I have no idea. I'd rather not find out." She shrugged.

"If he is, he better hope I never cross his path." Daryl growled causing a shiver to run down Rhiannon's spine.

A sigh left Rhiannon's lips and this time it wasn't out of despair and stress, this was more relief. Although she did still have scars, physically and emotionally, she felt a thousand times better than she had just that morning.

The events of the day ran through her mind. They would definitely haunt her for awhile, maybe forever. She had killed someone, had been groped and humiliated, had been forced to reveal her darkest secret, but yet, she was hopeful.

She felt closer to her father and her sisters. Maggie and Beth had been empathetic. Rhiannon was so worried Maggie would freak out at her again for keeping a secret but Maggie knew her sister and she knew not to take it personally. Rhiannon just didn't know how to deal with these deep emotional scars and Maggie had never been through something like that so she knew she had no right to judge how Rhiannon decided to deal with it.

Maggie was just so happy that Rhiannon had confided in her.

And Daryl. He had a way of making her see the light on her darkest days. She'd had her fair share of shitty days since the outbreak had started and Daryl had managed to be there for her for almost all of them. The ones that he wasn't there for he had given her his ear and shoulder to lean on when she talked about them.

"Come here." She said softly, patting the spot next to her.

"Gotta keep watch." Daryl said shyly.

"Your back's been facing the window this whole time. We'll be fine." She told him with a smirk.

The mischievous glint was back in her eyes and it made Daryl feel nothing but relief. He got up without complaint and made his way to sit at her side. Rhiannon immediately grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.

"You're really special to me, you know that?" Daryl blushed fiercely at her words and his heart began to beat wildly in his chest. "It means a lot that you told me about them." She said quietly.

Daryl sighed, recognizing the guilt in her voice again. "Stop. You didn't force me to do anythin'. 'M glad I told you."

Rhiannon nuzzled herself into him, resting her head against his chest as he placed an arm around her.

"I'm glad I told you too." She whispered against his shirt.

Rhiannon felt him place a kiss to the top of her head and she smiled, butterflies erupting in her stomach.

"You know this doesn't change anything, right? Your scars, your past, it doesn't change how I feel."

Daryl nodded, slightly stunned by her words. It was like she was in his head, she always knew exactly what to say to soothe his anxiety. "I know, it's the same for me." He said, his grip on her tightening. "Strongest girl I ever met." He mumbled against her hair before placing another kiss to her head.

"'M sorry 'bout today." Daryl spoke up again. "I was a dick this mornin'. I know you can handle yourself out there, just scares the shit outta me thinkin' 'bout you in danger."

"You were right though. I shouldn't have gone today."

Daryl frowned. She was right in some way, Daryl hated that she'd been hurt but he couldn't keep her locked up forever.

"Would you really feel better knowing that happened to us while you were here?"

Rhiannon sighed and shook her head wordlessly. He was right, no matter how she looked at it, the way it had happened was best case scenario. No one got hurt, Maggie stayed untouched, the bastards were dead, and that was all she could hope for.

"You handled it, you did the right thing. You always do." He told her reassuringly.

Rhiannon tilted her head to look up at him. "You're the best you know that? You've been like this since day one, always making me feel better about everything."

Daryl let out a noise of disbelief. "I was an asshole on day one. And day two, and three."

Rhiannon smiled. "But you always came back, you always apologized."

"That's cause you wouldn't leave me alone."

Rhiannon snorted and buried her face in his chest again. "I had to. I knew I needed to lock you down before someone else came along."

Daryl scoffed in amusement. The thought was too absurd to even comprehend. The thought of anyone else even trying to be who she was to him was laughable.

"Does this make you uncomfortable?" She asked, suddenly realizing how open and deep they'd been with each other and as history would show, Daryl wasn't always so great with that.

"Not anymore." He said honestly. He wasn't uncomfortable, just overwhelmed with how he felt for her but he knew it was a good thing. Shying away wouldn't do him any good.

Rhiannon blushed and looked up at him, placing a gentle kiss on his jaw causing Daryl to shiver. He leaned down and swiftly captured her lips with his. He'd been wanting to since he sat next to her but he didn't want to push her limits after what had happened that day. He was just glad she was ok.

It amazed him that no matter how hard she got knocked down, she always got back up.

Daryl paced his hand on the back of her neck, holding her close to him as they kissed. Rhiannon's head spun at how gentle and passionate he was. He always left her feeling tingly and giddy, like it was her first kiss. She ran her hands through his hair and felt pure satisfaction at the noise he made in the back of his throat. She moved her leg to straddle him but felt the pull in her back stop her.

She pulled away with a pained gasp. Daryl moved his hands to her waist, keeping her steady as he laid her back down on the couch. Rhiannon smiled shyly causing a blush to spread on Daryl's cheeks as it always did after they kissed.

"Thank you." She whispered.

The simple words held so much meaning to the couple that had found a new understanding of each other. All the horrible shit that had happened that day only served to solidify their bond and they knew they would be there for each other for the next inevitable tragedy.

* * *

Daryl threw the bag of guns and ammo they'd found on a run the day before into the trunk and slammed it closed. It was finally time for more gun training. Rick, Daryl and Rhiannon were going out with Carol, Beth and Carl, much to Lori's displeasure which was why Daryl had come out early to pack up the car. He had to get away from the yelling.

Soon enough, Rick walked out with his hand on Carl's shoulder who looked thrilled that he was finally getting out of the house. Beth followed who was excitedly talking Carol's ear off.

Daryl tensed in surprise as the young girl greeted him with a warm smile before getting into the backseat. Carol gave him a small smile as she passed, which was refreshing because she was almost always giving him that teasing smile she gave whenever he and Rhiannon so much as sat next to each other.

Daryl looked up and smirked as Rhiannon glided down the stairs. It had only been a couple of days since the incident in the store but she wasn't letting it slow her down. She still had her moments of weakness when she thought back to the man she'd killed, but Daryl was always there for her when she did.

Rhiannon moved to cram herself into the backseat that was only meant to fit three people but Daryl gently grabbed her arm, stopping her. She looked up at him with furrowed brows. She was on edge now, _is he really gonna try and stop me from going?_

"You're with me." He told her, walking them to the passenger seat.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she stared at him in shock. Was he really going to let her sit on his lap? In front of people?

"Are you serious?" She asked with a laugh, still not sure if this was his version of a joke.

Before he could answer, Rick had gotten into the driver's seat and started the car. It was then that Rhiannon noticed all eyes on her. She tried not to blush as Carol and Beth giggled quietly to each other like school girls.

Daryl sat down and raised his eyebrows at her, giving her an impatient look. His barely contained smirk made her laugh in disbelief. _Why is he not freaking out about this?,_ she thought to herself. She reluctantly got into the car and perched herself right onto Daryl's lap.

Rick snickered from his spot beside them causing the couple to turn their heads and give him identical glares, which only served to make him let out a full bellied laugh.

Despite being the butt of his laughter, Rhiannon smiled endearingly. She hadn't seen Rick smile in weeks. He'd been playing the uptight leader for so long, he hadn't allowed himself to just relax and smile.

"Ok, any music suggestions?" Rhiannon asked aloud, grabbing her ipod from the cupholder. "Let me guess, Johnny Cash?" She said to Rick before he could open his mouth.

Rick chuckled and sent her an eager nod. That had been his only request when she drove him and Glenn into town to get her Dad.

Johnny Cash played as they drove away from the house. They didn't know exactly where they were going, just as long as it was far enough away that they didn't draw any walkers close to where they were staying.

Daryl kept his arm firmly around Rhiannon's waist, making sure she didn't lose her balance at every turn. He knew that Carol was sure to tease him later but he honestly didn't care at this point. He wanted her close and he didn't care what other people said.

She twisted her hips on top of him to turn to talk to Beth, involuntarily grinding herself against him. Daryl clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on her waist. He breathed deeply through his nose, trying to calm himself down. Now was _not_ the time to get aroused. Not when Rick was beside him and the people that tease him the most were behind him.

Rhiannon felt his grip tightening and she looked down at him. She smiled cheekily when she noticed his flushed cheeks and clenched jaw. She bit her lip teasingly causing him to glower at her. _Don't you dare,_ he silently told her.

All too soon for both of their likings, Rick stopped the car on the side of the road. Rhiannon got out of the car, making sure to brush her hips against his once more. She heard a low growl leave him, which only served to widen her smile.

Daryl could barely concentrate. He'd been trying to keep his focus on Carol, who he was supposed to be teaching how to shoot, but every once couple of seconds his gaze would move to Rhiannon.

"I'm out of ammo." Carol told him, taking out the empty clip and holding it our for Daryl to take. She didn't hear a response so she turned to face him. She had to stifle her laugh when she noticed his gaze locked firmly on the blonde a few yards away.

Rhiannon's laugh rang out amongst the gunshots and Carol watched with admiration as a small smile cracked Daryl's usually hard features at the sound.

"Daryl."

He blinked and snapped his head back toward her, his eyes wide as he realized he'd been caught.

"I need more ammo." Carol told him, though what she really wanted to tell him was how absolutely adorable he was but she doubted he'd appreciate that.

Daryl quickly reached into his pockets and pulled out an extra clip with fumbling hands. Carol was thoroughly amused. Back at their old camp at the quarry, Daryl was always high strung and abrasive. Now, he was like a teenager with a crush, stuttering nervously and blushing every time someone caught them holding hands or even sitting close to each other.

Rhiannon was oblivious to Daryl's gaze. She really was oblivious to how smitten he was with her, she hardly ever noticed the soft smile Daryl gave her or the look of contentment on his face as he watched her speak or do anything really.

She helped Beth with her stance and her grip on the weapon. "Alright, whenever you're ready." She said, taking a step back.

Beth nodded, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she took a deep breath. After a couple of seconds, she fired, the loud noise caused her to close her eyes, it wasn't something she was used to.

"What the fuck?"

Beth opened her eyes at her sister's astonished voice and looked at the old billboard they were using as a target. She let out a delighted laugh when she saw she had hit the man in the ad right in the eye, she had hit her target. Beth squealed excitedly and dropped her gun to wrap Rhiannon in a hug who still had her jaw hung open in shock.

"Woah." Carl said, smiling over at Beth.

"I'd say she's got the hang of it." Rick said, flashing Beth a smile. "Guess you're a good teacher."

"I didn't do anything. How the hell did you do that?" Rhiannon asked, still thoroughly shocked. She hadn't expected her innocent baby sister to be such a sharp shot.

"I'm a natural." Beth flounced dramatically causing Rhiannon to roll her eyes.

"Lucky shot. Try again, hit the other eye."

Beth nodded and straightened her stance again. She pulled this trigger again, this time missing the target completely.

"Ok, that makes more sense." Rhiannon mused.

Beth nudged her with her shoulder. "Shut up and help me."

Daryl chuckled at the sisters and tried to turn his attention back to Carol who was also watching them with a smile. She looked up at Daryl and something in her eyes made him relax, there was no teasing glint or mischief that he was so used to seeing from her.

"She seems to be doing well." Carol said. She'd been so worried that Rhiannon would close up and push people away after she was assaulted on the run and forced to talk about her scars. She was so glad to see that she was still acting like the same old Rhiannon, that she was keeping the light in the group alive.

Daryl bit his lip, he always felt slightly uncomfortable when other people talked to him about her. He was fine talking to her about pretty much anything and that was just about all he could handle.

"Yeah, she's strong." Was all he said. "Come on, try again." He told her, trying to get the conversation back to the gun training to spare his anxiety.

As Carol put her attention back to the target in front of them, Daryl allowed himself to turn his head back to the woman who was constantly running through his head.

Rhiannon looked up and their eyes met. She smiled and sent him a wink. Daryl bit his lip and shook his head, turning his head back to Carol. With her around he was surprised he got anything done.

He thought back to Carol's words and found himself feeling lighter. That day had made him feel like he had hit rock bottom, it made him feel helpless, like he couldn't protect her.

But seeing her laugh like she didn't have a care in the world made all the difference. She was ok and that was all he needed to be ok too.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried not to make it too heavy and depressing. I think I've put my OC through enough (for now) so happy times ahead *cough* smut *cough***

 **A huge thank you to RHatch89, addicted2memories, brittneyangel, Dawnie-7, devoncarman, .2017, Heaven In A Rage, amd LJH for reviewing on the last chapter. You guys are so awesome! xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**And now...the moment you've all been waiting for.**

* * *

Rhiannon shivered and wrapped her arms around herself even tighter. She stared down at the empty road ahead of her as her foot tapped against the snow covered pavement impatiently. She longed to see the car Rick and Daryl had taken coming back down the highway. They had left to scavenge out a potential place to stay.

Rhiannon didn't care what they would find, anything would be better than sleeping in the cars like they'd done the night before.

"Hey, Tiny, you're gonna freeze out here." T-Dog called out to her from her car where everyone was crammed in for warmth.

Rhiannon sent him a glare at his nickname for her before turning her attention back to the road for one last look as she walked backwards to the car.

"They're fine, ain't even been gone an hour."

Rhiannon sighed. "I know, just seems stupid that only the two of them went."

"They can handle it." T-Dog told her. He suddenly smirked and nudged her with his shoulder gently. "Your knight in shining armour will return."

Rhiannon sent him another withering glare which only made him laugh. "What is it with you people?" She was getting annoyed that everyone teased the two of them.

"Aint' like there's tv's around, what else are we supposed to do?" He gave her a cheeky smile which managed to turn her glare into a small smile. "Get in here before you freeze."

Rhiannon complied and squished herself in the backseat next to Lori who had a sleeping Carl cradled against her. He'd been too nervous to fall asleep last night. It was the first time since their first night on the road that they hadn't had walls around them and roof above their heads, it had everyone on edge.

"You doing ok?" Rhiannon asked quietly, her eyes moving downwards toward the small bump that was barely visible.

"As good as I can be out here." Lori said vaguely as she ran her fingers through her son's hair.

"We'll get through this. Rick will find somewhere safe for us, somewhere you can have the baby."

Lori nodded solemnly and Rhiannon could practically feel her guilt.

"You guys ok?" She asked the mother. Everyone had seen them fighting and the tension between them was palpable. Even Carl knew what was going on between his parents.

Lori shook her head. "He can't stand me."

"Lori-"

"No, it's true. I'm not his biggest fan either right now." She said bitterly. "Things have been bad between us since the farm, since Shane."

Rhiannon stiffened and felt her throat go dry. Lori's eyes widened and her head snapped up towards the young woman. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of some way out of the hole she'd just put herself in.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't...that was insensitive." Lori stuttered.

Rhiannon shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She whispered. Shane was practically family to the Grimes and she knew her problems hurt just much as the emotional trauma they were going through.

The two women were left in a tense silence. Lori didn't know what to say, she felt like everyone she talked to had a vendetta against her. It was clear that Rhiannon and Rick had a strong friendship and Lori hadn't been the nicest person toward her, considering how bitter the mother was that Carl wanted to do everything she was doing, he'd even asked Rick to find him a sword. That was enough for Lori to worry that she'd been a bitch to the poor girl.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been acting very mature lately." Lori said quietly, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I don't blame you, you got a lot on your mind." Rhiannon shrugged and turned her attention to the scene outside the window.

Lori just sighed and leaned back in her seat. She doubted she'd get a better answer from the young woman and now wasn't the best time to go into a deep and meaningful conversation so she decided to just let it be, no matter how much it irritated her knowing Rhiannon was just saying whatever she could to make her feel better and that she didn't really mean it.

"I wonder what they're gonna find." Carol spoke up, trying to clear the awkward air that had invaded the car. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on them, she was just curious.

The two women both meant a lot of to her and she didn't want any more animosity in the group than there already was. The tension between Rick and Lori was about all she could handle.

"Anything's better than that house we stayed in last week. I feel like I still have spiders all over me." Maggie said with a groan.

Rhiannon huffed out a laugh. "You'd prefer walkers over spiders?"

Maggie sent her sister a playful glare and nudged the back of her seat with her knee.

"Girls." Hershel warned with an authoritative voice before Rhiannon could retaliate.

"They're back." Glenn said excitedly. Rhiannon perked up and immediately threw the door open as everyone began to climb out of the stuffy car.

Rhiannon felt herself relax as Daryl stepped out of the car after Rick. He moved to stand next to her and she instantly felt warmer in the cold air as his body pressed against hers.

"You good?" He asked quietly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Daryl sent her a smirk. "Don't gotta worry 'bout me."

Rhiannon just rolled her eyes at him and the two of the turned their attention to the group.

"So, you found a place?"

Rick shared a look with Daryl and nodded. "A storage unit. It's got fences around it."

There was a collective sigh in relief that went around the whole group. Maybe they could actually stay there for more than a night. The past few places they've found they had to leave because of a herd that had strolled in. With fences, they actually stood a chance at being just a little bit safe.

"We didn't see any Walkers in the lot but we don't know 'bout inside. We're thinkin' we all drive down and a group of us will go in and clear the space if it's manageable. If not, we find somewhere else."

They all nodded in agreement, although Hershel was a little hesitant, he knew at least two of his daughters were going to be on the front lines.

"Daryl, T-Dog, Rhiannon, Glenn, Maggie, and I go in. The rest of you keep watch."

Rhiannon tried to stifle her smile as she looked up at Daryl with a raised eyebrow. He just looked down at her questioningly. "I'm surprised you let that happen." She said sarcastically.

"Knew I'd get my ass kicked if I didn't let you go."

Rhiannon snickered. At least he finally knew keeping her from doing what she set her mind to was a bad move for everyone involved.

"Fast learner." She mumbled making Daryl nudge her playfully with his shoulder.

Only minutes later they were off. Rhiannon sat behind Daryl on his motorcycle, her grip tighter than usual due to the snow. She had told him it was stupid of him to ride his bike in the winter but he wasn't giving it up.

The drive wasn't long, they'd gotten to the storage units in half an hour. Rhiannon looked at it in awe. The fences were a welcoming sight. It was a godsend, she never thought she'd be so happy to see them.

She grabbed her sword from the trunk of her car that Glenn had drove and placed the sheath over her shoulder.

"Be careful and watch your back." Hershel told her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be fine." She reassured him and placed a quick kiss on her father's cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

Hershel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Just that morning, Daryl had been gone barely an hour and Rhiannon was worried sick, now she was telling him it was no big deal that she was walking into possible danger.

He sighed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Be safe." He whispered.

"Always am." She whispered, tightening her grip on him before pulling away so he could give the same speech to Maggie.

Rhiannon noticed Rick talking to Carl, no doubt explaining why he wasn't letting him come inside to clear out the space. She inwardly cringed, she was just glad that she didn't have to deal with disciplining the kid. He was just as stubborn as she was, she didn't think she'd be able to handle it.

"You ready?" Daryl asked her as he loaded his crossbow.

"You really have to ask?"

Daryl sent her a smirk that suddenly faded as his face turned serious. "You think this place'll be safe?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "Is anywhere safe?" She tried not to sound like a skeptic, but it was getting harder and harder to keep hope alive as the days passed.

"Whatevers happens, we'll handle it."

Rhiannon smiled softly and nodded. "I know we will."

Daryl's lips quirked up softly, the look he was sending her made butterflies erupt in her stomach. It always did everytime he looked at her that way, like he was so content and relaxed around her. It made her feel special that she'd been able to make him feel that way, considering how different he'd been that first day on the farm.

"Everyone ready?" Rick asked.

Rhiannon nodded and sent a wave back to Beth who stayed wrapped in their father's arms with a nervous look on her face. She hated that both her sisters were always picked to do these things. She hated having that dread of losing them over her practically every day. But she also knew her sisters were the strongest women she'd ever seen, she had nothing to worry about.

The group made their way across the fenced in lot and waited patiently as Rick broke the padlock on the side door. He poked his head in first and slowly crept into the dark building. The rest followed quietly, their weapons raised as they readied themselves for an attack.

"Alright, Glenn, Maggie and T, you take the left rows. Daryl, Rhiannon, you're with me." Rick told them, making sure to give Daryl a pointed look. He knew the hunter had been angry with him for separating the two of them that horrible day at the store and he wasn't about to make that mistake twice, not unless he wanted a beating from an angry and overprotective redneck.

Daryl nodded firmly, trying to ignore the overwhelming relief he felt at the leader's words. He also couldn't help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed that Rick knew just how much it meant to him to have Rhiannon by his side. The public knowledge was something he had to get used to.

Rhiannon sent a reassuring smile to her sister who was less than thrilled to be separated from her, especially after what had happened the last time they'd scouted a building, but after seeing the way Daryl had nudged her forward in between him and Rick, Maggie knew she wouldn't have to worry about her sister's safety with the hunter around.

The three of them made their way down the first row of storage lockers. Rhiannon sighed in annoyance, her shoulders deflating as she noticed the number of rooms they'd have to clear. It would be a lot of work but if this worked out, it would make all the difference.

She held her sword tightly and waited with bated breath as Rick leaned down and opened the latch to the first locker. She sighed in relief when the door rolled up and all they found was a pile of dusty, old furniture.

Rick looked back at them with a smile, feeling more hopeful than before. Rhiannon gave him a smile. "Don't get cocky yet, officer." She whispered.

They moved onto the next locker and rolled up the door. Rhiannon smiled widely when she noticed a big, plush couch in the middle of the room.

"Called it." She said, sending Rick a wicked grin as he glared at her. _He_ was hoping he'd get to sleep on the comfy couch. It would certainly be an upgrade from the trunk he'd slept in the night before.

Daryl just rolled his eyes at the two of them, trying to hide his amusement. "Come on." He whispered and they moved to the next one.

"This is gonna take forever, there's probably hundreds of these things. We should split up." Rhiannon said causing the two men to tense up.

"No." Daryl said through gritted teeth, immediately shooting down her idea.

"We can't make the rest of them stay outside in the cold for hours." She argued.

"Daryl go with her, take the next row." Rick said, trying to mediate before things between the not-so-secret couple got out of hand. Daryl hadn't lashed out in awhile but he wasn't taking his chances.

Rhiannon frowned, suddenly feeling guilty that her suggestion meant leaving Rick without backup. She would've been fine going off on her own, but she knew they would never let that happen.

"Are you sure you wanna be alone?"

Rick gave her a soft smile, feeling touched at the concern she showed for him. It was something he hadn't been used to in the past few weeks. "I'll be fine."

Rhiannon nodded slowly, still unconvinced that leaving him alone was the best idea but she followed Daryl nonetheless. The pair was quiet as they moved across the darkened hallways, the only light coming from the small flashlight Daryl held.

A low growling was heard at the end of the hall causing them to stiffen. Daryl gave her a stern look, silently telling her to stay put as he walked forward slowly. A lone walker sat against the wall, it's body slowly decaying, it looked like it hadn't had any food since the outbreak started.

It's sunken eyes locked onto Daryl as he got closer and a low groan left its mouth as its arms slowly stretched out to him. An arrow pierced the skull, silencing the walker for good.

Daryl scoped the area in front of him, only letting his bow arm relax when he was satisfied that there were no other walkers.

The loud noise of the rolled doors opening startled him and he spun on his heel. Rhiannon had taken the liberty of continuing their sweep.

Daryl clenched his jaw and stomped over to her with heavy footsteps. "The hell you think your doin'? What if there were walkers in there?" He spat angrily.

Rhiannon just snorted in amusement, his anger not seeming to bother her. "I got a sword, I would've been fine." She shrugged casually and stepped passed him to get to the next storage unit.

Daryl was left to watch her, frozen in place with his mouth agape. He'd expected her to snap back at him, to yell at him for being an asshole and letting his short temper get the best of him.

He definitely wasn't expecting _that._ He didn't know whether to be offended or grateful that she had found his outburst so amusing.

Rhiannon opened the next door and stumbled back, almost tripping on her own feet as rotting arms reached out for her.

"Shit!" She yelled in surprise and quickly swung her weapon. The loud growling ceased as the body fell to her feet.

Rhiannon quickly scanned the small unit, making sure there had only been one walker hiding in there.

Daryl clenched his fists and placed it over his mouth as he breathed deeply. His heart continued to race wildly despite the sight of the dead walker that should have instantly calmed him. He was just glad she'd acted so quickly, she'd taken it out before he'd even gotten his crossbow aimed.

 _She's fine, she took care of it. She's not hurt._

"Don't do that." Daryl growled as he walked toward her purposefully.

Rhiannon smiled sheepishly, feeling bad that she had put him on edge. She knew she'd be ready to slap him if the roles had been reversed.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Daryl frowned and reached for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance. "Come on." He said and the two of them kept walking down the dark hallway, their hands intertwined.

Daryl looked down at their hands and smiled softly. It felt like those days on the farm when she was asking him all those questions. She told him she wanted to get to know him and that small action had been the turning point for him.

It was the moment he realized she was something special and what was between them was real. She made his head spin from day one and the feeling he got in his chest as the walked together made him doubt it would ever go away.

* * *

Rhiannon heaved a bag over her shoulder as she helped carry in all their supplies, no matter how limited it may be.

"I can't wait to actually sleep on something soft tonight." Beth sighed happily. "Which one is ours?"

"She's with me tonight." Daryl said from behind the two of them before she could reply. Rhiannon turned and raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. This was like the front seat thing again, though he didn't sound as confident as he did that day. Daryl looked at her shyly, like he'd been running the idea in his head and working up the courage all day.

"That ok with you?" Rhiannon asked Beth, feeling like a child asking permission from her mother.

Beth stifled her wide smile and nodded. "Yeah, it's no problem." She said and winced at her high pitched voice that didn't sound casual like she had tried to be.

"She can stay with me and Lori." Carol spoke up, putting a hand on Beth's shoulder.

Rhiannon nodded and blushed at the looks the two of them were giving her. She turned her attention to Daryl and smiled softly at the way he ducked his head to avoid the other girls' gazes.

Rhiannon felt herself beginning to laugh and grabbed his head, dragging him down the hallway.

"Have fun!" Carol called out causing Daryl's shoulders to tense in embarrassment and Rhiannon to turn her head and give her a pleading look.

"It's about time. I was wondering how long it would take them to finally get together."

"So you approve of him for your big sister?" Carol asked with a smirk.

Beth nodded, a soft smile on her face. "As long as I don't have to have her feet digging into my back at night, I'm happy." She laughed.

Rhiannon squeezed Daryl's hand in hers. "Sorry about them. I'm hoping our novelty wears off soon."

Daryl's lips quirked upwards and he shrugged, still reeling from the intense tightening in his chest at what Carol had insinuated.

"Where are we going?" She asked, noticing he was leading her to one of the hallways were no one had taken a room. "I was looking forward to that couch." She pouted.

Daryl smirked, "Found somethin' better," and he began to guide her down the hall. He stopped at one of the rooms they'd cleared and opened the door.

Rhiannon's eyes widened at the sight in front of her, a large smile taking over her features. The couch they'd seen, while she thought it wasn't as good as the previous one she'd found, had been a pullout couch which Daryl had put blankets on to make a bed.

"Oh my god." She muttered in surprise and without hesitation she jumped onto the bed. The mattress was lumpy and not that soft, but it was better than anything they'd had in the past few weeks. "This is amazing." She mumbled, closing her eyes as she laid spread out like a starfish, not unusual to how she slept which she hoped Daryl wouldn't mind.

Daryl smiled shyly, happy that he was able to do this for her. She'd been down since being on the road, and even since the farm with all the Shane drama going on and he wanted to do something for her to make her smile.

He knew she wasn't enjoying their time on the road, especially after the night they'd spent in the cars. Daryl had seen her running at her back that had been sore from sleeping in the passenger seat of her car.

To him, she deserved everything good in the world, and nowadays he couldn't tell what that meant, so a pullout couch was the best he could come up with. And the relaxed smile she had on her face was worth everything.

Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, causing Rhiannon to open her eyes and sit up. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you."

Daryl nodded softly and brought his arm around her waist.

"Rick is gonna be pissed." She laughed. He'd pouted when she called that couch, she didn't know how he would react if he found out she had a bed and he didn't.

Daryl scoffed. " _I_ found it."

Rhiannon smiled. She knew he was being sarcastic, Daryl was never one to bask in the riches. He always let everyone have the first pick at food, even if he was the one that had hunted it.

It was one of the things she admired about him. He was so selfless and just so _good,_ and he had absolutely no idea.

She wanted to show him but she didn't know how. How do you make someone realize they're a good person when all their life they'd been knocked down and told they were nothing?

Rhiannon knew it wouldn't be easy, Daryl still had a long way to go, but he had already come so far. He'd opened up to her, had been there for her time and time again. He was even coming around to the rest of the group.

She was proud of him but she didn't know how to make him see it. He was still so shy and hesitant, even around her about certain things.

Rhiannon leaned forward and pressed her lips to his lightly. She was always a little hesitant to be the one to initiate any sort of affection. She'd scared him off before and she didn't want to do it again.

But ever since their moment at the doctor's office all those weeks ago, Daryl had been more accepting of her touch and since then he'd surprised both of them and had been the one to kiss her first. And even though she'd caught him off guard now, he was more than eager to respond.

He felt as though he'd been starved of her. They hardly ever had time to themselves anymore, except on watches, but it wasn't like they could do a lot then. Daryl wasn't someone who could ignore the group's safety for his own pleasure.

Their kiss became heated and rushed as weeks of longing poured out of them. Rhiannon held onto him tighter and pulled him in closer, throwing her leg over his so it rested across his thighs.

She would have loved to keep going forever but all too soon, Daryl regretfully pulled away with a heavy sigh.

"I told Rick I'd go hunting."

Rhiannon nodded. Getting food was more important than what they were doing. She was worried that if they kept going she'd start to change her mind.

"Wanna come with me?"

Rhiannon groaned and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Rick asked me to take first watch."

Daryl nodded and bit his lip, trying to ignore the disappointment he felt and trying not to get annoyed at Rick who kept unintentionally keeping them apart. It wasn't a big deal, they could handle a few hours away from each other. But the way she was splayed over him made him question his will to leave her.

"I'll see you soon." She said, sensing his hesitation to go. She knew if she didn't just bite the bullet and be the first one to go they'd never get anything done. She pressed her lips to his softly, reveling in the soft kiss that she wished could keep going.

Daryl hummed in contentment and placed his hand on the back of her head, keeping her lips on his. He deepened the kiss, turning it into something a lot more passionate that Rhiannon had intended. He parted with a heavy breath and felt his cheeks heat up at the dazed look in her brown eyes.

"See you soon." He said and he finally allowed himself to pull away from her embrace and get off the bed. He grabbed his bow and swung it over his shoulder. He turned and couldn't help but smirk at the way Rhiannon watched him with a giddy smile.

He ducked his head shyly and made his exit. He still couldn't believe that _he_ was the one making her smile like that and making her feel just as overwhelmed with desire as she made him feel.

Rhiannon bit at her thumb nail, trying to hide her wide smile. She felt like a teenager with her first boyfriend. Daryl wasn't her first but he was the most important. Right from the start she had known how different he was from anyone she'd ever met and that made him so special to her.

She shook her head and tried to keep her smile in check as she walked past the rest of the group to get to the roof to take watch. She was just hoping she could clear her mind of him long enough to actually pay attention to keeping watch.

* * *

The night had everyone is good spirits. Daryl had found a few squirrels despite the cold weather and while it wasn't a lot, fresh meat was enough to have everyone in a better mood.

Rhiannon sat next to Daryl with Beth on her other side. Everyone was in their own conversations and it was even starting to feel like a regular night with friends. T-Dog was asking her about New York and if it really was as interesting as people made it out to be.

Rhiannon was hesitant to talk about it, it felt like New York wasn't apart of her life anymore. She loathed the person she was while she lived there, the person that ignored her family. And she knew it was one of the reasons that intimidated Daryl, it made him feel like she was slumming it with him, a redneck who had never left the state.

"I wish I could've gone." Beth said. She'd been too young to remember when the whole family had gone to see Rhiannon perform and she never got another chance to see the big city.

"I'm sure you would've had a better time than Maggie."

"What does that mean?" Glenn asked, his eyes moving back and forth between Rhiannon who had a sly smirk on her face and Maggie who looked nervous.

"She came to visit me for her 21st birthday-"

"Don't you dare." Maggie warned, glaring at her sister. Her father was sitting just feet away and this wasn't something he'd want to know.

"Oh, come on." Glenn pleaded. By now the whole group was interested.

"I took her to some fancy club where a lot of celebrities hang out and she met this actor from some show she used to like, who was it again?"

Maggie huffed and placed her hand over her face. "Chace Crawford." She mumbled.

"Right." Rhiannon smiled wickedly. "So, they were talking for awhile, really hitting it off. He was ready to take her home but she had a little too much to drink and threw up on his shoes."

Glenn tried to hide his laughter to avoid getting an angry glare from his girlfriend, but the rest of the group had no trouble bursting out laughing at Maggie's misfortune.

"Thank you for telling that story in front of Dad." Maggie said, giving Rhiannon her best bitch face, though she doubted it had any weight, Rhiannon had _taught_ her that glare.

Hershel shook his head. "Not much you girls do surprises me anymore. I know more than you think."

Rhiannon paused and turned to her father with trepidation. She did _a lot_ of bad things in her high school days.

"Like what?" She asked quietly. She heard a snicker from beside her causing her to look over her shoulder and send a playful glare to Daryl who looked back at her with a barely restrained smile.

He so badly wanted to hear what she got up to. He found it hilarious that such a small and sweet girl could cause so much trouble.

"I know that the one time I sent you money for groceries you spent it on tickets to see Metallica." Hershel told her confidently and smiled widely at the way her eyes widened in horror.

"Maggie!" Rhiannon yelled. She knew that was the only way her father had found out about that.

"I didn't know it was a _big_ secret." Maggie defended herself. "Definitely not as big a secret as that time you were in Paris and told your instructors you were sick but really you had just gone to Amsterdam for a week."

"That is not true." Rhiannon said pointedly. Her eyes followed her dad as he laughed and shook his head, getting up to take his empty plate away. She waited until he was far enough away so he wouldn't hear her. "It was actually three weeks." She whispered, smiling triumphantly.

As the rest of the group laughed, Daryl found his smile slowly disappearing. It was bad enough thinking about her glamorous life in New York, but Paris and Amsterdam, those were places he never even dreamed of going, it was just too far fetched for someone like him to even consider it.

"You've been to Paris?" Lori asked with interest.

"Yeah, I spent a year at the Paris Opera Ballet." Rhiannon said with a shy smile and blush on her cheeks that deepened at the shock and appraisal on everyone's faces.

"What'd you get up to in Amsterdam?" T-Dog asked smugly, knowing that it definitely wasn't something she was going to talk about now that Hershel was sitting back in the circle.

"This conversation is over." Rhiannon stated, shaking her head at T as he laughed loudly.

They all stayed in their circle talking about nothing important. It felt nice to actually have a conversation that didn't revolve around watch schedules or what to pick up on a run. Rhiannon felt lighter, like she didn't have any worries, it was a freeing feeling and it amazed her that something so simple could make her feel like this.

It also helped that she had a certain someone beside her. Rhiannon turned her head and immediately frowned at the look on Daryl's face. He wasn't smiling like he had been before, he didn't have that look on his face that told her how relaxed he was.

He sat there brooding with a blank look on his face, like he had a million thoughts running through his head.

Rhiannon racked her brain, trying to figure out what could've been said to make his mood change so drastically.

Soon enough, everyone was heading off to their rooms to sleep. They was eager to finally get some real sleep with some much needed privacy. Rhiannon had been so eager to finally get some privacy with Daryl, especially after how playful and relaxed he'd been just hours before, but now, she was more than a little hesitant to find out what had soured his mood.

Rhiannon hugged her father and sisters goodnight and ignored the teasing look Maggie was giving her.

She closed to door to their storage locker and leaned against it, her questioning eyes locked on Daryl as he sat on the edge of the bed untying his boots.

"You ok?" She finally asked.

Daryl just shrugged and kept his gaze away from her. Rhiannon sighed and, kicking off her shoes, she walked to him and sat next to him on the bed.

"Was it something I said, or someone else said?" She couldn't imagine he was mad at T-Dog. The two of them had become good friends but Rhiannon doubted that was enough to make Daryl mad. He'd realized how ridiculous it was after he'd been jealous that one time the man had given her a piggyback ride.

Daryl tensed as her hands ran up his arm soothingly. He let out a ragged breath, feeling goosebumps rise at her touch.

"Did you really live in Paris?" He said gruffly. He felt stupid for even bringing it up but he knew she wouldn't let it go.

Rhiannon furrowed her brows. "Is that really what this is about?"

"Just don't get it."

Rhiannon stiffened and pulled away from him slightly. "Don't get what?" She asked with hesitation. She didn't think she wanted to know the answer.

"This." Daryl said simply, finally raising his head to look her in the eye. The conflict and worry she saw in his blue eyes made her chest tighten.

It hurt her knowing he'd never had the kind of affection she gave him, that he didn't know how to process it.

"Do you regret this? Do you not wanna be with me?"

"No! That's not what I- _fuck_." He sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Then what don't you get?"

"I don't get why you want me!" Daryl blurted out loudly.

Rhiannon felt like her heart had just cracked. She'd never heard him so vulnerable before, not even when he had told her about his scars.

"Daryl, I don't know how many times I have to tell you this and I don't care how many times I have to to make you realize that I'm crazy about you." Rhiannon began and immediately she could see the doubt that flashed across his face.

"I know we've had different lives. But everything I've done, everywhere I've been, it led me straight to you and that is all I give a shit about."

The sincerity of her voice sent a jolt through his body, like he'd been shocked. His eyes met hers and he was surprised to see hers glistening.

"You think you don't deserve me because I traveled, because I had this life that you think is out of your league? None of that matters anymore. I couldn't care less what you did before all this. I don't give a shit if you've lived in one hick town your whole life, all I care about is the fact that you're here with me right now."

Daryl watched her with fascination as she spoke and a warmth spread through his whole body, like she was cracking that final layer that had kept him so cold.

"Just don't want you to settle." He said quietly.

Rhiannon sighed and got to her feet so she was standing in front of him. She grabbed his cheeks to make him look up at her.

"Daryl Dixon, there is no one else I'd rather be with."

The blush that spread on his cheeks sent a wave of pride through her, hoping she had finally made him understand.

"And you shouldn't feel disheartened that I lived in Paris, it isn't that great."

Daryl raised his eyebrow and sent her an ' _are you shitting me?'_ look that she was all too familiar with from him.

"Honestly, the city smells like piss and the people are assholes."

Daryl snorted and leaned his head on her stomach. Her ability to make him laugh left him feeling a thousand times lighter.

Rhiannon threaded her fingers through his growing hair which made him look back up at her.

"I know you don't see yourself the way I do, but I hope you know…" she paused, taking in a deep breath. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." She said quietly.

Daryl was stunned into silence and he was sure if they were in any other situation, Rhiannon would've laughed at the bewildered look on his face.

He put her hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him. "Me too." He said softly. "I mean, not _me_ , I-"

"I know." Rhiannon laughed, cutting him off before he could start rambling nervously. She leaned her forehead against his and kissed him lightly.

Daryl held her tighter and tugged at her hips, bringing her down onto his lap. Rhiannon gasped in surprise but smiled at his boldness and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had hoped this meant he had finally gotten it through his thick head that he deserved her, that he was all she wanted.

Daryl tried to keep his mind quiet but her words still ran through his head. For once, he wasn't questioning her feelings for him, he wasn't wondering if she could do better. The way her tongue tangled with his and her fingers scratched at his scalp made him sure that they were both right where they were supposed to be.

Rhiannon hands trailed down his chest and she pulled at the buttons of his shirt. She could feel his body tense underneath her and she pulled away, her eyes locking onto his. Daryl stared back at her, his heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed thickly and unbuttoned his shirt, keeping his gaze on her.

Rhiannon smiled down at him. She loved that he felt comfortable enough to do this with her, to be exposed in front of her. She groaned as he leaned up and caught her lips again, kissing her hungrily.

Daryl's grip on her tightened and he turned them over so she was laying on her back, making her gasp in surprise. He shrugged off his shirt and threw it across the room, crawling over her. Rhiannon hooked her leg around his hip and his hands trailed up her thigh and to the hem of her shirt.

His hands were trembling and his confidence started to dwindle as he touched the bare skin at her hip, suddenly worried that he wouldn't be good enough for her.

"It's ok." She whispered, bringing his head towards her so she could press her lips to his softly. "I want you to touch me." She took the initiative and pulled her shirt off.

Daryl's eyes widened and he smirked as he noticed more tattoos. His fingers traced the artwork of the bird on the side of her ribs and the music notes that trailed just under her bra. Rhiannon shivered at his feather light touch which made him smile, snapping him out of his daze.

He leaned down, kissing her roughly. His hands trailed over every inch of soft skin he could find. This was what he had been wanting for weeks, what he'd thought of at night when she was only inches from him but he was unable to do anything. It was even better than he expected.

Daryl broke the kiss when she arched forward. He felt his breathing stutter when he noticed her hands moving behind her and he realized what she was doing.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, feeling just as nervous as he was as she exposed her bare chest. Daryl groaned and leaned his forehead on her shoulder.

"You gotta be kiddin' me." He muttered. A nipple piercing, of course she had a nipple piercing. Rhiannon laughed lightly, her nerves dissipating at his response.

Daryl pushed his insecurities to the back of his mind as he placed a kiss to the little sun tattoo between her breasts.

Rhiannon let out a small moan which made his head spin. He looked up and the desire in her eyes drove him crazy, she was just as needy as he was.

Their movements were rapid and jerky as they tore and tugged at their remaining clothes, their lips staying locked in a fierce and fiery kiss.

Rhiannon was about to take off the final layer of clothing that kept her from being completely exposed to him. She sighed, her fingers playing with the hem. "Don't laugh." She muttered.

Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion. _Why the fuck would she think I'd laugh at her?,_ he thought to himself. She pulled her panties down and Daryl had to bite his lip to keep from smiling.

Rhiannon sent him a playful glare. The small dragon tattoo she had on her hip was one of the drunken mistakes she regretted the most.

"I was in vegas." She muttered, which was as much of an explanation as she was willing to give.

Daryl laughed lightly, the sound causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach. The sound was so rare and so beautiful. The smile on her face faltered and she bit her lip as her skin tingled where his thumb trailed over it.

"I like it." He mumbled and before she could say anything, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the ink on her hip, dangerously close to where she really wanted him.

Her body tensed in surprise and goosebumps rose on her skin. Daryl moved his body so he hovered over her and crashed his lips to hers again. Rhiannon curled her leg around his waist and arched her hips upwards, grinding against him, causing Daryl to moan against her lips as he practically fell forward on top of her at the feeling.

The sound he made drove her crazy and she began to pant with need. She pushed him off her to lay on his back, smirking at the wide eyed and bewildered look on his face as she straddled him.

He swallowed thickly, his chest rising and falling rapidly at the intoxicating sight in front of him. She tugged at his boxers and he kicked them off, trying not to feel embarrassed as her eyes roamed over him.

"Wait," He panted, before she could move over him. "I don't have any…"

"It's ok, I have the bar."

Daryl's brows furrowed. "The bar?"

Rhiannon sighed in frustration. "You really want me to explain this now?"

Daryl shook his head forcefully, a smirk on his face. She always found a way to calm him down when he was close to losing his grip.

Rhiannon felt like her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Her hand trailed down and she gripped his length. Daryl's whole body tensed and his eyes squeezed shut. He panted harshly and he hoped he would last long enough to please her.

Rhiannon felt herself smile at his reaction to her touch and she slowly lowered herself onto him. Her lips parted with a heavy gasp and she closed her eyes at he feeling of him finally inside of her.

Daryl let out a loud sigh as she moved. "Wait, just...hold on." He spoke through gritted teeth, his hands holding onto her hips tightly, stilling her movements. Rhiannon nodded and leaned down to kiss him softly as he tried to calm himself down.

His hands moved from her hips and up the soft skin of her back. He finally caught his breath and bucked his hips up to meet hers.

Rhiannon moaned, her fingers digging into his shoulders. "Daryl." She breathed out in surprise.

She began to move on him slowly, their breaths hitching at every movement. She bit her lip, not wanting to make too much noise as he moved beneath her. His hips moved upwards causing him to hit a spot inside her that made her feel dizzy.

She let out a shuddering breath and moaned. "Oh, fuck, Daryl."

The look of pleasure on her face and the sound of his name leaving her lips sent a shiver down his spine and he grabbed at her waist to move her faster on top of him. He needed more. He was as close to her as possible but it still wasn't enough.

Breathless moans left his lips that he wasn't even aware of. The way she moved and tightened herself around him made his brain melt with unbearable pleasure. Rhiannon was sure she'd have bruises on her hips from his grip and love bites on her neck and collarbone as he sucked and bit at the skin there.

"Jesus...fuck!" Daryl moaned loudly, crushing her to his chest as she began to grind and roll her hips faster.

Rhiannon breathed heavily, soft moans leaving her lips as she moved. She felt his hands tangle and tug at her hair, making her hips move faster. She always figured he liked it when she pulled at his hair, turns out he like it better pulling at hers.

" _Oh,_ Daryl." She moaned breathily, her nails digging into the skin of his shoulders and dragging down his back making him groan and clutch onto her tighter.

"Fuck." He whispered against her skin, placing sloppy kisses to her neck that was red and bitten from his eager mouth.

Rhiannon felt her toes curl and her body begin to tense as she felt a tightening that started in her core. She didn't want it to be over but she knew Daryl wasn't going to last much longer either. The way he panted loudly against her skin and gripped her tightly were clear signs.

She moved her hips faster and faster until she could barely catch her breath. She heard his breathing hitch and his hips snapped upwards erratically.

Daryl's mind was spinning, he couldn't believe what she was doing to him, how incredible she was making him feel. He wanted to go forever but all too soon, he felt himself twitch inside of her and his body went rigid.

"Oh fuck, _Rhiannon_." Daryl groaned loudly, dragging out each syllable of her name as he felt himself beginning to let go. He tugged roughly at her long locks, not even realizing or else he would've been worried that it had hurt her.

A breathless gasping moan left him and Rhiannon tightened even more around him as he reached ecstasy. He squeezed his eyes shut, his head falling back against the couch. His whole body shuddered and shook, he couldn't believe what he was feeling.

He forced his eyes open, he wanted to watch her.

Rhiannon threw her head back and squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth falling open in a silent scream that she so badly wanted to let out.

Her body shuddered against his as she reached her high and she buried her face in his shoulder, biting at his skin to keep her moans quiet. Her body fell slack against his and she was sure she would've lost her balance if Daryl wasn't holding her like he was. There was no space left in between their sweat slicked skin.

"Holy fuck." She said, still panting from exertion. She blinked the white spots out of her eyes, and waited for her heartbeat to calm down.

Their bodies trembled as the last shocks of pleasure dissipated.

Rhiannon lifted her head and met his blue eyes that were wide with something she'd never seen before. He looked just as wrecked as she felt. He stared at her lovingly and with surprise, like he couldn't believe what had just happened, like it had all been a dream.

Daryl finally untangled his fingers from her messy hair and pushed a stray stand that had fallen in her face. His thumb caressed her cheek as he looked at her in fascination.

Rhiannon smiled and leaned her forehead against his, pressing a feather light kiss to his lips before moving off him. Both of them let out small sighs as she did, and she laid next to him, pulling the blankets over their still shivering bodies, even though it hadn't been from the cold.

"Now do you believe me?" She whispered, that mischievous smile that he loved so much plastered on her face.

Daryl felt himself smiling widely, every insecurity and self deprecating thought gone from him mind like they'd never even been there. He moved his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him to rest her head on his chest.

"Yeah." He whispered and planted a kiss to the top of her head as they both felt their bodies finally recover.

They stayed silent and eventually drifted off to sleep, Rhiannon's head perched onto his chest, his arm around her protectively and their legs tangled, just how it should be.

* * *

 **I'm going to faint**

 **ENJOY! xx**


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl groaned as he felt a kick to his shin, breaking him from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and buried his head into his pillow, not wanting to wake up yet. That meant having to start the day and leave the bed where he was holding his girl.

His blue eyes opened and a smile immediately grew at the sight in front of him. They had shifted during the night. Daryl lay on his side, his arm slung over her waist as she laid on her back, her legs spread wide. At least now he knew what had woken him up.

For someone so small, she certainly took up a lot of space. Daryl leaned forward and placed a kiss on her shoulder, a content smile on his face.

Rhiannon let out a small noise in her sleep and stretched out her legs again, sending another kick to his shin. Daryl's breath left him in a huff at the pain in his leg. _Damn, she's got strong legs._

He shook his head, letting out a small laugh, that girl was something else. His grip on her tightened. His mind drifted to last night and the small smile on his face grew into a dopey grin that had him biting his lip.

Never in his life had he felt what he had last night. Not only did she completely blow his mind, she made him feel so wanted and needed. And even laying with her, his scars on display, he never once felt uncomfortable. She put him at complete ease and for once in his life there was no voice in the back of his mind bringing him down at every second.

Daryl also had a new sense of pride after seeing what he could do to her. Seeing her in pleasure, her eyes closed, her lips parted as she moaned, the way her hips moved against his, it was better than anything he could ever imagine. His cock twitched at the memory and he gave a soft groan, nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck.

Rhiannon hummed sleepily and opened her bleary eyes, blinking the haze of sleep from them. She giggled at the feeling of Daryl's scruff rubbing against her skin.

"That tickles." She mumbled, weakly nudging him.

Daryl only tightened his grip on her and continued to plant kisses on her soft skin. Rhiannon sighed happily, letting her eyes fall closed once more. She was quite surprised by him, she never would've guessed that he'd be a cuddler, and quite a clingy one too. She _loved_ it.

Daryl's hands moved from her waist up to her ribs. His fingers ran over the ink on her skin causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"Did it hurt?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "A little bit."

"Why a bird?" He asked, his genuine interest making her smile.

"It's a songbird. It reminds me of Beth."

Daryl nodded thoughtfully and his hands wandered downwards. "This mean anythin'?" He asked, his fingers running over the dragon on her hip.

Rhiannon let out a sound of surprise and shoved him playfully. "You're such an ass." She laughed, her heart beating faster as she heard the deep sound of his own laughter. It warmed her everytime she heard it.

Daryl lifted his head from where it was resting on her shoulder and looked down at her. Their eyes met and his breathing hitched. He couldn't believe this beautiful woman in front of him wanted to be his.

Rhiannon smiled lightly, suddenly feeling shy under his lustful gaze. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers softly. He felt a rush of adrenaline as they kissed, something that happened every time.

She was expecting just a morning kiss, something to get their day started, but when Daryl tore his lips away and started placing sloppy kisses down her jaw to her neck, she realized she was in for a lot more.

Rhiannon sighed as his tongue smoothed over the love bites that donned her skin from the night before. Her fingers trailed over his broad shoulders and found their way to his messy hair.

Daryl bit back a groan as he felt her tug at his locks and nipped at her skin in response, making her body go rigid in surprise.

He moved further down and wrapped his lips around the piercing on her nipple, tugging it lightly.

"Daryl," Rhiannon moaned, arching her back slightly.

His hands trailed over her skin, wanting to feel every inch of it, wanting to memorize what made her sigh and moan softly and what made her ticklish. He wanted to know everything about her body.

His hand wandered down between her thighs and her hips bucked off the bed as his fingers trailed over her clit.

Daryl tried to keep his cool but her panting breaths in his ear were driving him crazy. He focused on the shred of confidence he possessed, which was exponentially larger since the night before, thanks to her.

He ignored his insecurities. He wanted to make her feel good, that was all that mattered.

Rhiannon opened her legs wider, giving him all the confirmation he needed. He moved his head up to look at her, her wide brown eyes piercing him and making him grow even more aroused.

He kissed her wildly, both of them moaning against each others mouths, they were both feeling the same hunger for each other that last night had brought out.

Daryl breathed heavily and pushed two fingers inside of her. Rhiannon sighed against his lips and hooked her leg over his waist. He never stopped kissing her as he thrust his fingers inside her. His other hand trailed over her thigh, his fingers digging into her skin as he tried to keep his sanity.

Rhiannon broke the kiss and a broken moan left her lips as his thumb circled her clit. She let her head fall back onto the pillow and arched her back, Daryl's lips going back to her breast.

He crooked his fingers and she let out a needy whine. " _Fuck,_ right there. Don't stop, don't stop." She whispered frantically.

Daryl's head rose and he stared at her in awe. "Fuck." He muttered quietly. The sight of her writhing beneath him, the sound of her panting moans and the feel of her heat surrounding his fingers were making it hard for him to keep his control.

She was so gorgeous and she was all his.

"Daryl." Rhiannon moaned, her grip moving to his shoulders. She almost felt bad at the grunt he let out at the stinging in his shoulders from her nails. _Almost._

He moved his fingers faster, curling them every time, reveling in the way her body tensed and her walls tightened each time he did.

Rhiannon's head spun with the uncontrollable pleasure he was giving her. She'd be confused at his willingness to do this for her and his new found confidence if she wasn't so fucking _wrecked_ by him.

She gripped onto his shoulders tightly and threw her head back as she felt herself get closer to the edge.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, Daryl." She repeated over and over. Her chest heaved with panting breaths.

Daryl watched her, his cock aching with need as her lips parted with a long, loud moan of his name as she clenched impossibly tight around his fingers.

He kept moving them inside her through her climax that shook her. Her tense body went lax and he felt her leg quiver around his waist. She latched onto his wrist tightly, stopping his movements. It was too much.

Daryl immediately tensed, thinking he had done something wrong. "You ok?"

Rhiannon's eyes that had been shut tightly snapped open and she turned her gaze to meet his. The desire and mischief he saw in her eyes made him swallow thickly.

 _What the fuck have I gotten myself into?,_ he thought to himself, wondering how in the hell he could ever keep up with her.

Despite the fact that she was still panting and recovering from her orgasm, she smirked wildly, sending a pang of arousal to his already hard length.

Rhiannon leaned up and captured his lips with hers. She kissed him harshly, their tongues tangling passionately, making him lean into her. She didn't even give him a warning, she reached down and grabbed his cock and began stroking him at a fast pace.

His body jerked against hers and he started breathing erratically at her touch. Her thumb swirled around the tip making his body go rigid.

"Shit," Daryl grunted and she moved her hand even faster, making all coherent thought impossible. His eyes screwed shut and his jaw hung open as he panted loudly.

He leaned on his elbow, careful not to crush her with his weight. His hand fisted and pulled at the sheet below them while his other hand tangled its way into her hair, tugging at the long strands.

"Fuck, slow down...I can't-" he panted brokenly, his words cutting off as she tightened her grip on him. He shuddered and practically fell forward on her.

Rhiannon smiled widely, feeling complete satisfaction at what she could do to him. She bit her lip, feeling herself get turned on again as he pulled at her hair. She found it hilarious that Daryl Dixon had a hair kink, she couldn't wait to tease him about it.

She could feel his hot breath on her neck, he didn't even have the wherewithal to kiss her. She smirked and slithered her other hand downwards.

Daryl was so close to losing it. It was only when he felt her other hand tug at his balls that he was gone.

"Ohhh fuck." He drawled out gruffly and harsh grunts left his lips as he released onto her stomach.

Rhiannon couldn't help but let out a moan as her neck arched as Daryl pulled at her hair roughly as his climax ripped through him. He let out shaky breaths, a soft whine coming from his lips as she continued to touch him, sending little shocks through his body.

He moved off of her when he felt his arms beginning to feel weak. He threw his arm over his eyes as he tried to calm his racing heart and slow his erratic breathing.

Rhiannon bit her lip, feeling quite prideful at the state she'd left him in. Daryl finally opened his eyes and felt the heat rise in his cheeks, suddenly feeling embarrassed at the mess he'd made on her skin.

"Sorry, I didn't-"

Rhiannon leaned over and kissed him roughly to stop his sentence. Daryl felt himself melt into the kiss, his arms winding around her waist and moving to hover above her again.

His hunger for her still wasn't satisfied, he doubted it ever would be.

Rhiannon pulled away with a smirk. "You're insatiable."

"Around you, how can I not be?" He mumbled against her skin as he placed kisses down her neck.

Rhiannon smiled widely and was just about to turn them over so she could straddle him and have a repeat of last night when a loud banging on the roll up doors startled them.

Daryl threw himself off her and yanked the blanket up to cover themselves.

"You guys awake? You're missin' breakfast." Rick's voice carried over from behind the door.

"Yeah, we'll be right out." Rhiannon called back.

They waited with bated breath as they heard the sound of his footsteps retreating and Rhiannon suddenly let out a loud laugh, quickly slapping her hand over her mouth.

Daryl glared fiercely at the closed door but his eyes softened as he looked over at her. The sound of her laugh made his stomach twist in a way he never realized it could.

"Ain't funny." He grumbled in annoyance. His arousal was definitely gone now.

"Aww, don't whine. There's always tonight." She said wistfully, arching an eyebrow as his expression darkened with desire.

"Stop." He told her and immediately got up from the bed to get dressed. He knew if he stayed beside her completely naked body they would _not_ be getting up anytime soon.

Rhiannon stretched her arms wide and watched him move with a sated smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this at ease.

Once Daryl was done dressing he grabbed the red handkerchief he kept in his back pocket and sat back on the bed.

Rhiannon watched, biting her lip, as Daryl gently wiped off the mess on her stomach. Who knew something like that would make her swoon? He smiled shyly, his cheeks flushed as he threw the handkerchief over his shoulder.

"You comin'?"

Rhiannon nodded. "I'll be out there soon. Gotta fix this mess first." She said, trying to smooth down her hair that had been tangled by his fingers.

Daryl's eyes widened, realizing that was _his_ doing. He had no idea hair pulling turned him on, it was a surprise for both of them.

"Sorry." He muttered.

Rhiannon smiled and shook her head. "Come here." She said quietly, grabbing his shirt to pull him down towards her. Daryl smirked and gave her a soft kiss.

"Don't be too long." He whispered against her lips. She nodded, a giddy smile on her face as he gave her one last look of longing, letting her know he'd much rather spend his time with her in their bed than face the real world and the group.

Once he had finally tore himself away from her and had quickly closed the door behind him so no one would see her in the state she was in, she allowed herself to climb out of bed in search of a hairbrush and a shirt that would cover up the hickeys on her neck and chest.

The last thing she needed was teasing from her sisters and Carol.

* * *

Glenn scooped another spoonful of canned fruit onto his plate. He looked up as Daryl entered and sent him a nod, he knew the hunter wasn't one for polite greetings.

"Mornin." Daryl said, giving him a nod as he grabbed his own plate.

Glenn's head snapped up and his eyes widened. Did Daryl just willingingly greet him? Most days when Glenn was the one to say 'good morning' the most he got was a grunt in response.

"What?"

Daryl looked up and narrowed his eyes at the look of awe on Glenn's face. "I said mornin'." Daryl repeated, his voice a little harsher now due to Glenn's weird behaviour.

"Uhh, yeah, sorry. Morning." Glenn stuttered, giving a plastic smile. Daryl just rolled his eyes, not even willing to ask what the hell was with him. He didn't want to know.

Glenn's eyes trailed the hunter as he walked away to other side of the room to take a seat as he ate his breakfast. He grabbed Maggie's arm as she passed and quietly dragged her away from the group.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Daryl and Rhiannon had sex." Glenn whispered.

Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "What?"

"They had sex!"

"How do you know?" Maggie asked, less than convinced that her sister had finally gotten some from her stubborn hunter.

"Daryl said good morning to me."

Maggie's eyes narrowed at her boyfriend and she crossed her arms over her chest. "So just because Daryl spoke to you, that means he had sex with my sister?"

"Yes! When has Daryl ever initiated a conversation with anyone? He's in a good mood and you know what puts someone in a good mood? Sex." Glenn stated matter of factly.

"I dunno, Daryl was pretty pissed off last night."

"Maggie, I'm telling you, they had sex last night."

Maggie twisted her face in slight disgust. "Why are you so invested in this?"

"You didn't know Daryl in the beginning. At the quarry, he was so...different. Rhiannon's changing him. I'm just...relieved."

Maggie's face smoothed out and she smiled softly. "You're still a freak and I still don't believe you." She told him plainly, smiling at the way his face fell in annoyance.

"Ok, watch." He said, nodding his head to where Rhiannon had just walked in. She kissed Beth and her father on the cheek and smiled at Carol and T-Dog as she usually did.

"I don't see anything different." Maggie told him smugly as she watched her older sister grab her food.

It wasn't until Rhiannon had turned and her eyes met Daryl's that Maggie's smile fell into a look of shock. The heated look in Daryl's eyes was a dead giveaway and the way Rhiannon blushed and barely constrained her wide smile was all the evidence they needed. The couple was practically eye fucking in front of everyone.

"See?" Glenn whispered excitedly. Maggie nodded slowly, her jaw slack as she watched her usually strong willed sister reduced to a giggling school girl.

"Holy shit, they actually had sex." Maggie said quietly, still feeling like her eyes were deceiving her. She knew her sister and Daryl had something going on, it was just still confusing to her. She knew Daryl cared about Rhiannon, he certainly showed it enough with his protectiveness over her. She just didn't see him as boyfriend material.

"Don't say anything."

Maggie snapped her head around to stare at Glenn with wide eyes. "Are you kidding?" She asked in disbelief. She was itching to tease her sister about this.

"Maggie, come on." Glenn groaned. "Daryl's finally in a good mood, don't ruin it."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But not forever. I'm giving them a week before I annoy her."

Glenn sighed and smiled lightly. "Fine." He said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and they both had to keep their knowing smiles in check as they made their way back to the group.

* * *

Rhiannon moved the towel over the blade of her sword, cleaning off the blood and black gore from the walkers. She was only half listening to Rick as he gave out jobs for everyone.

"Rhi, you good to go hunting with Daryl?"

She looked up at Rick, trying to keep her face neutral and nodded, hoping she didn't show how eager she felt.

Rick nodded. "I know things are sparse but anything you find will help."

Daryl nodded and sent a fleeting look to Rhiannon. The desire she saw in his eyes was one she had seen that morning. She smirked slightly and tore her gaze away before anyone would notice the heated exchange.

They knew they were both thinking the same thing. They would be getting some much needed time alone while hunting. Their hearts fluttered with excitement at what that would mean. That is, until a small voice broke the silence.

"Dad, can I go hunting with them?" Carl asked, putting on his best puppy dog eyes to try and sway his father's answer.

Rick sighed tiredly. He didn't know how much longer he could keep brushing his son off.

"Please! I'll stay with them the whole time. I just wanna learn how to do it, I promise I won't get into any trouble." Carl pleaded.

Rhiannon looked to Daryl who was scowling at the kid. A small, amused smile graced her lips. She was frustrated too, she wanted to be alone with him, but Daryl getting cockblocked by a kid was pretty hilarious to her.

Rick looked up at the pair with conflicted eyes. He didn't want his son out there but he knew if Carl never got the chance to get practice, if he didn't know how to protect himself, he'd be in more danger.

"I hate asking-"

"Rick, don't worry. We'll look out for him." Rhiannon quickly interjected.

The leader sighed and nodded slowly. "Alright, you better get your stuff ready." He told Carl who jumped up and threw himself at his father for a tight hug. Rick laughed, his heart warming as he held his son.

"Thank you, thank you." Carl said excitedly and quickly pulled away and ran off to get his coat and his gun that Rick was now letting him carry.

"Rick, can we talk about this?" Lori spoke up through gritted teeth. Her eyes pierced Rick's with a glare and she sent Rhiannon and Daryl an equal vicious look.

Rick clenched his jaw and nodded. The two of them stood and moved away from the group. They didn't want another one of their fights broadcasted to everyone.

Rhiannon watched them go with a frown. She hated that there was animosity between the couple and that their son had to see it.

"Why the fuck did you say yes?" Daryl growled under his breath.

"I can't say no to him."

"Yes you can." Daryl stated simply.

Rhiannon let out a small laugh making Daryl send a glare her way. "Don't be so grumpy. We can't have sex up against a tree but, like I said, there's always tonight."

Daryl's eyes widened and he looked around to make sure no one else had heard. He tried to ignore the images that flooded his mind from her words and he shifted where he sat, trying to quell the arousal he felt growing.

"Don't say shit like that." He grumbled, feeling more than a little frustrated even after their little romp that morning.

"You don't like it?" Rhiannon teased with a sultry voice. She knew exactly what she was doing to him.

"Not in front of everybody." He hissed through gritted teeth, feeling himself getting hard at the sound of her voice.

"I'm ready." Carl yelled happily as he ran around the corner and stopped right in front of the couple.

Rhiannon and Daryl sprung apart, not even realizing that they had been leaning into each other. She gave a fake smile, suddenly getting a taste of her own medicine. She hoped Carl hadn't heard anything she'd said, she didn't want to scar him for life.

"You should say bye to your parents before we go." She told him. She sighed, her tense body relaxing as Carl walked out of earshot once again.

She laughed lightly and shook her head. She put her coat on and put her sword over her shoulder. She looked over at Daryl who was ready to go but he still had that barely restrained scowl on his face.

"You got some this morning, how can you still be frustrated?" She said, catching him off guard. His lips parted in surprise and the shocked look on his face made her laugh.

Daryl got ahold of himself, realizing anything she said shouldn't surprise him anymore, and he glared at her playfully. She was _not_ helping the situation in his pants at the moment.

She nudged his hip with hers. "You'll be fine. Being out in the cold will help."

Daryl opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't help it though, he let a small smile grow.

Soon Carl was walking back towards them, less enthused than he was before. Rhiannon frowned and saw Lori stomp off, making her sigh.

"Come on, buddy." She reached out and placed her arm over his shoulders and the three of them made their way out of the building, Rhiannon sending one last wave to her family.

The trio walked in silence while they made their way farther into the forest that surrounded the storage building. Rhiannon didn't usually didn't mind silence and she knew Daryl cherished it, but now it didn't feel right. Not with Carl. The young boy was always so vibrant and would talk her ear off.

He kept his head down as they walked in stride. Rhiannon frowned and looked up at Daryl who was focusing on the tree tops above them, keeping his eyes out for any squirrel or bird that could cross their path.

She sighed and rolled his eyes, of course he didn't notice Carl's weird behaviour. _What is it with men?,_ she thought to herself.

"You wanna get some extra target practice in while we're out?" Rhiannon asked the boy, a hopeful smile on her face.

Carl just shrugged in response. "I dunno. I don't think my mom would want me to."

"But do _you_ want to?"

Carl just shrugged again making Rhiannon sigh. Daryl turned back to look at them, realizing they had lagged behind him. He shared a look with Rhiannon and his gaze moved to Carl. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking Rhiannon what they should do. She just shook her head minutely, she had no idea

"Carl, your mom's just worried about you. You know that right?"

"Doesn't mean she has treat me like a baby. I can take shoot, I can take care of myself." Carl almost yelled, finally letting out his anger. Daryl looked away and continued to walk a few paces ahead of them. He knew he would useless now, he didn't know how to deal with kids.

"But you're still a kid, you shouldn't have to." Rhiannon told him but he just scowled in response. "Carl, you're lucky enough to still have both of your parents, there are so many kids who don't. You can't take that for granted."

Carl frowned, all traces of anger leaving his expression. His shoulders sagged and he nodded slowly. "It's just annoying how she treats me like I can't do anything." He mumbled. He suddenly looked up at her. "Can you talk to her?"

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she floundered for words for a couple of seconds. "Uhh, I really don't th-"

"Please! You can convince her, I mean, you got through to Daryl…" Carl trailed off slowly and pursed his lips, realizing he said something he shouldn't have.

Daryl whipped his head around and the look of disbelief on his face made Rhiannon have to stifle a laugh. "The hell does that mean?" He barked.

"It was something I heard my mom and Carol talking about last night." Carl said softly. He had a scared look on his face but as soon as he looked over at Rhiannon and saw the amusement on her face, he broke out into a wide smile.

"Are you guys boyfriend and girlfriend?" He asked with a sly smile.

Rhiannon's smile fell and she narrowed her eyes at the kid who was trying to pry into their life. She wondered if the group had set him up to do this, knowing she couldn't get mad at him for asking.

She looked up to Daryl who looked just as lost as she felt. They hadn't talked about it before. Sure, they knew they cared about each other, and the sex they had the night before definitely solidified whatever it was they had, but that was it, they still had no labels for what was going on between them. It was just _whatever they had between them._

"Umm, I-" Rhiannon said slowly.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Daryl suddenly said, stopping Rhiannon's nervous ramblings. She looked up at him in surprise, her brows furrowing, as if asking him if he was sure. He sent her a smirk that made her heart beat faster.

Carl looked back and forth between the couple with looks of confusion at the moment they were sharing. He stepped in front of Rhiannon, cutting off the attention she was giving Daryl and looked down at him.

"Does this mean you'll talk to my mom?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope. I'm not doing your dirty work for you, buddy." She refused flatly.

Carl sighed dramatically making her laugh. "But she's being so unfair!" He whined.

"She's your mom, she's allowed to be."

Daryl let out a huff of laughter at her words. "Give it up, Kid. You're talkin' to the most stubborn woman in Georgia, ain't gonna get what you want from her."

Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "Didn't I give you what you wanted this morning?"

Daryl's eyes widened and his jaw went slack. She definitely had no shame, not when it came to teasing him at least.

"What does that mean?" Carl asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Daryl said sharply through gritted teeth.

Rhiannon bit her lip to quell her smile but it only served to drive him even crazier. Again, Carl looked between the couple and scrunched his nose up. The heated looks they were sending each other were unmistakable, even to him.

"Are you guys talking about sex?"

"No!" Daryl barked loudly.

Rhiannon laughed loudly, clutching onto her stomach. The pleading look Daryl sent her only made her laugh harder. "Oh god." She breathed out in between her laughter.

Despite the utter horror and embarrassment he felt, the sound of her laughter let it all dissipate into nothing but adoration as he watched her with a soft smile. Once she had calmed down to small giggles, her gaze met his once again.

He shook his head at her, but the smile on his face let her know he wasn't really mad. He never could be when it came to her. She could tease him all she wanted and it would always warm his heart no matter what.

"Damn Vixen." Daryl muttered and started walking again, Rhiannon and Carl trailing behind him.

"Is that a yes?" Carl suddenly asked and Rhiannon's laughter rang through the forest once again.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait. I had exams and christmas with both sides of the family. Things are finally settling down though so the next chapter definitely won't take two weeks.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for all the feedback, you guys are awesome! xx**


	28. Chapter 28

"Will you stop staring at me?"

Maggie's eyes widened and she snapped her gaze from her older sister down to the ground. "I wasn't staring." She defended herself lamely.

Rhiannon gave her sister her bullshit face and rolled her eyes at the innocent smile Maggie gave back in return.

"If you have something to say to me then say it." Rhiannon said cooly, knowing exactly what was about to be brought up.

"Is he good in bed?" Maggie finally asked with a triumphant smile.

Rhiannon shook her head in amusement, a small laugh escaping her lips. The blush rose on her cheeks, both from Maggie's question and from the onslaught of memories that ran through her brain. _Yes, yes he was._

"Come on. I told you about Glenn, it's only fair." She argued.

Rhiannon sighed, a sly smirk on her face as she nodded. "He's good. A little hesitant at first but once he gets into it…" She trailed off, biting her lip as she got swept away with her less than pure thoughts.

"Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Rhiannon asked, now defensive. She knew Daryl was different than the other guys she had been with in the past but that was the point. She had finally found the right one _because_ he was so different.

Maggie shook her head at seeing the look on her sister's face. "No, it's nothing, he's just...not what I expected. He was so rude at first."

"Yeah, cause he thought no one wanted him around. It was a defense mechanism, a way for him to deny the fact that he actually cared about them." Rhiannon defended Daryl sincerely. She was so proud of him, he had come such a long way since then, had grown so much.

Maggie smiled lightly, seeing the way Rhiannon spoke about him was so warming. "I'm glad you found each other. I've never seen you so happy before."

"Stop." Rhiannon whined, nudging her sister with her shoulder.

"Aww, are you embarrassed?" Maggie teased, poking at her reddened cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you. You deserve someone like him, someone who treats you like a queen."

Rhiannon nodded slowly. After Shane, after Alex, she began to feel like she'd been cursed, that she was never going to be happy with someone. Then Daryl came along and she began to heal, they both did.

"He called me his girlfriend." She blurted out suddenly.

Maggie smiled but when she looked over at Rhiannon and saw the blank look on her face, it fell. "And you...don't wanna be?" She asked slowly, her voice laced with confusion at Rhiannon's apprehension.

"No, no, I do. Of course I do." She corrected herself rapidly.

"So what's the problem?"

"It's not like him to say something like that. Would you have guessed that Daryl Dixon would call himself my boyfriend...in front of people? Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier, being with him has been amazing, but I don't want him to say that just because he thinks he has to. I don't want him to do it just because he thinks that's what'll make me happy."

The sisters sat in silence. Rhiannon let out a long breath after finally getting that off her chest. Maggie sighed and leaned her head on her sisters, pulling her in closer.

"That man is crazy about you. And I'm bettin' that since he met you, he's been doin' a lot of things different than before. It's not a bad thing. Trust me, you're the best thing that ever happened to him, I know it, he knows it, everyone does."

Rhiannon felt a wave of emotion wash over her. She had spent so much time trying to get Daryl to realize that she wanted him, that they were good together. She had built up his confidence so much over the past few weeks that she had started to forget about her own. She was only human, there were times when she doubted her worth. But Maggie's words helped put everything into perspective for her. She was crazy about him, he was crazy about her, that was all that mattered.

"Thanks." Rhiannon said quietly.

Maggie kissed the top of her head and the girls were left in silence once again as they kept watch. The past few weeks had been quiet. They really started to feel like things could work out for them, that they could build a life for themselves instead of just surviving day to day.

Things were looking up for them, but it wasn't without sacrifices.

"Can I ask you something?"

Rhiannon nodded and pulled away to look at her sister. The tone of her voice was worrying to her.

"Do you ever get worried about how lucky we've been?"

Rhiannon frowned and furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"People have lost so much. Glenn and T lost their whole family, Carol lost her little girl, but we still have Daddy and Beth. We haven't lost nearly as much as everyone else. Do you ever worry that the universe will catch up to us?" Maggie spoke softly, tears forming in her eyes.

"Maggie." Rhiannon squeezed her hand, making her raise her head to meet her eyes. "We've lost things. Otis, Patricia...Mom. I have no idea how the universe works, but I know that people aren't going down at random. We're strong and we have each other, that's how we've lasted so long and that's how we'll survive. _All_ of us."

Maggie sniffled and leaned her head on her big sister's shoulder. "I love you."

Rhiannon smiled and hugged her tighter. "I love you too."

It was hard to keep your head straight in this world and Rhiannon was thankful that when she did break down, she had people to bring her back up. She was even more thankful that she could finally be there for her family when it was their turn.

"So how big is Daryl?" Maggie suddenly asked. Rhiannon laughed loudly, pushing Maggie out of her embrace. "Hey, you practically hounded me the second you found out about me and Glenn. I've been waiting weeks to tease you about this."

Rhiannon shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"I told you about Glenn!"

"If I told you, would you ever be able to look at Daryl again?" Rhiannon countered.

Maggie's smile froze and her shoulders sagged with a sigh. She suddenly scrunched her nose up the more she thought about it. "Yeah, you're right. I don't wanna know."

The door to the roof suddenly opened and both girls turned to see Daryl stepping out into the cold air, his crossbow over his shoulder. Maggie and Rhiannon looked at each other with wide eyes before bursting out laughing. If he had come any sooner, he would've been mortified.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, watching the sisters suspiciously as they laughed to each other. He shook his head, he didn't think he wanted to know.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Maggie said, planting a kiss to her cheek.

"Night." Rhiannon said, giving her a wave as she got up to leave. She had to bite back another laugh as Maggie passed Daryl with an awkward glance, leaving him even more confused.

Daryl sat next to her on the ledge of the roof and she immediately linked her arms with his, leaning against him for his body heat. The winters in Georgia weren't as bad as some of the winters she'd had in New York but it was still freezing to her.

"Do I even wanna know what you two were laughing at?"

Rhiannon snickered. "Probably not."

Daryl shivered and tensed as her cold hands found their way under his shirt to his bare skin. "Jesus, how long have you been out here?" He asked, bringing his arm around her shoulder to pull her in closer, running his hand up and down her arm to warm her up.

"A couple hours." She shrugged.

"Rhi, you're gonna freeze! You were supposed to let Maggie take over after an hour, you shouldn't be out here this long." Daryl scolded her.

Rhiannon sighed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at his protectiveness. She was supposed to be off watch when Maggie took over for her but she felt like she'd barely spoken to her sister in the past few weeks and wanted to catch up with her. She hadn't even realized how long she'd been out there.

Rhiannon leaned up, her cold nose pressing against his neck, causing another shiver to roll through him, though it wasn't just from the cold. She pressed light kisses to his skin causing Daryl to bite back a groan.

"Tryin'a' distract me?"

Rhiannon smiled. "Is it working?"

Daryl shrugged, a smirk working its way onto his face. "Lil' bit." He moved his head and leaned down, giving her a proper kiss.

Daryl tightened his arms around her and tilted his head, deepening the kiss, making it something a lot more heated than he first intended. He frowned and pulled away, realizing that Rhiannon wasn't completely into it.

She looked down, avoiding his gaze. Now that she was with him again, her insecurities were back in full force and Maggie's words of comfort forgotten.

"What's wrong?" He asked in concern. He tilted her chin up to look at him and moved to push a strand of hair behind her ear.

Rhiannon sighed. What did she expect? Of course Daryl would notice that something was wrong with her. "It's just something I've been thinking about for awhile."

Daryl felt a rush of fear run through him and his body went rigid. He swallowed thickly and tried to push away his immediate feeling of rejection.

"A few weeks ago, when Carl asked if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, did you say yes because that's what you wanted us to be or is it just something that you think _I_ want?" Rhiannon asked nervously, her eyes casting downwards to avoid his piercing gaze.

Daryl felt his tense body relax in relief. He was expecting to get dumped, for her to realize that she could do a lot better than him. He was happy it wasn't that, but he was still confused. He suddenly went tense again, realizing he still didn't have a good feeling about what she said.

"Is that not what you want?" He asked nervously. He pulled his arm away from her and began to fidget with his fingers.

"No, it is. I just wanted to make sure it was what you wanted too."

"Said it didn't I?" He said abruptly, his temper rising. This was new to him, he didn't know what he was doing, he'd never had someone to care for before and apparently he wasn't doing a good job or else she'd be happy.

Rhiannon sighed dejectedly, realizing his tone. "Daryl, I just don't want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable cause you think it'll make me happy."

Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion and looked at her quizzically. He studied the expression on her face curiously and he felt a heavy feeling in his chest, _was she feeling insecure?_ His eyes widened when he finally realized that he wasn't the only one out of their element in this relationship.

"You really think that I don't wanna be your boyfriend?" He asked softly, his voice laced with disbelief. He couldn't help the feeling of failure that washed over him, thinking this was his fault, like he hadn't done enough to make her realize how much she meant to him.

She had spent so much time making sure _he_ knew how she felt about him, making sure he felt secure with her. Daryl frowned, maybe he didn't do enough to make sure _she_ knew he cared about her just as much.

Rhiannon shrugged. "I just wanna make sure that's what you really want."

Daryl sighed in exasperation. "You think it's not?" His voiced raised but he took a deep breath to try and calm his temper. "You've changed me so much, you push me to be a better person, how could you think that that wasn't what I wanted?"

"I don't wanna be the one that pushes you! What if one day you realize you don't wanna be pushed around anymore?" Rhiannon yelled. She'd been feeling like this for weeks, it was only a matter of time before she blew up.

Daryl's gaze softened and he grabbed her hand, linking her arm with his again. "I like it when you push me. Didn't exactly like the guy I was when we first met. Prolly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." He told her sincerely.

Rhiannon felt her eyes begin to water at his words, causing her to look away from him, not wanting him to see her like this. She'd been so worried about her family, the group, and especially Daryl, since they were on the road that she never took time for herself. She had been a ticking time bomb, ready to explode with everything she'd been repressing the past couple of months.

"Rhiannon, look at me." He told her softly and moved her gaze back to his. He placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb stroking the faint freckles that were scattered across her cheeks. "You're _everything._ I don't give a shit if sometimes I get nervous, but that don't mean I don't want it to happen. I wanna be your boyfriend. I want people to know that we're together."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise. "You do?"

Daryl nodded shyly and let out a small laugh. "Everyone knows already, ain't like we've been hiding it very well."

Rhiannon laughed lightly causing Daryl to smile in relief at the sound. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you."

"Don't be." He told her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry too. I should'a told you that a long time ago."

Rhiannon just shook her head, she didn't want him to take the blame for her insecurities. It was just human nature for her to be worried about his feelings for her, it happened to everyone. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

Daryl leaned down and captured her lips with his, hoping he could say more with this action than his words, he never had much confidence in those. They both felt themselves relax at the contact.

Rhiannon pulled away with a smile. "You've changed me too, you know."

Daryl raised a brow in question. He found that very hard to believe.

"It's true. I used to be so self destructive in all my relationships, but with you it's like I'm finally acting like an adult. Like I really wanna fight for it, for you." She told him and placed a hand over his blushing cheek.

"Honestly, if I were to have this conversation with anyone else, if I told someone that I was feeling insecure, it would've come out wrong and escalated to something it didn't need to be. It would've ended in a fight or a break up. But I can actually talk to you, I can tell you what I feel. I never used to be able to."

"I still can't." Daryl said bluntly, though there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice that made Rhiannon laugh.

She placed a kiss to his cheek, still giggling slightly. "We'll work on it." She teased sarcastically.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms, enjoying the silence. It was rare that they had moments like these. A harsh wind blew by them causing Rhiannon to shiver in his arms. Daryl pulled away and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving a faint shake of his head as he felt her freezing body against his.

"You should get inside before you freeze."

Rhiannon whined softly and nuzzled closer to him. The last thing she wanted was to leave him. Daryl smirked at her action and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I won't be out here long. I'll meet you in our room in an hour."

Rhiannon smiled wickedly. "Promise?"

Daryl chuckled. "I promise." Her teasing tone had made his arousal stir and he was already dreading the hour he had to take on watch, he knew it would go by slowly, it always did when he knew she was waiting for him.

Rhiannon placed one last, hard kiss to his lips, leaving him wanting more and watching her go with a look of longing as she stood and made her way off the roof.

She rubbed at her hands that were stiff from the cold and felt her body relax as she stepped into the building, finally sheltered from the cold night air.

She lazily dragged her feet as she walked to her room, suddenly realizing how tired she was. A loud sigh left her lips as she flopped onto her bed and within seconds she was fast asleep.

* * *

Daryl tapped his foot impatiently, he still had at least forty minutes left on watch. He so desperately wanted to get to his room and get back to her. He never used to be like this, but she had a way of stealing his focus.

His head perked up when he heard the door open behind him. He had a hint of a smile on his face, expecting Rhiannon to come out and keep him company. His smile fell when he turned and saw Hershel walking towards him.

Daryl swallowed nervously and gave the old man a nod. He hadn't spent much time with him, he didn't think he particularly like him, especially now that he and his daughter were together officially.

He inwardly cursed in frustration, he had no doubt in his mind that Hershel wanted to give him the stern talking to that fathers gave their daughter's boyfriends. Daryl felt his nerves spike, he just hoped Hershel wouldn't be too hard on him.

Hershel sat down beside Daryl and couldn't help but smile at his tense demeanor, he knew what the young man was expecting. "Relax, I'm not here to interrogate you."

Daryl nodded slowly, but his words did little to calm his nerves.

Hershel's smile faltered as he looked at the man beside him. He could recognize the signs of child abuse, he recognized it the first day he met Daryl. Hershel had been through it himself, he knew the toll it took on their self esteem.

He wished Daryl could confide in him, he wanted the young man to know that his history didn't cement his future, Hershel himself was proof of that. He had been hurt but he was able to move past it and form a beautiful family. But he knew better, he knew the man beside him wouldn't respond well to airing out the skeletons in his closet.

"Is everything alright?" Daryl suddenly asked. If Hershel wasn't there to tell him to get away from his daughter, then he figured he was here on Rick's behalf to let him know about a run or an incoming threat.

"Everything's fine. Just thought we should get to know each other a little bit better, seeing as though you're someone very important to my daughter."

Daryl's eyes widened. "So… you're ok with this, with us?" He asked nervously, his voice a little weaker than he expected.

Hershel smiled. "Of course I am. Haven't seen my baby girl this happy in a long time. If you can give her that kind of happiness in a world like this then I have no reason to worry about her with you."

Daryl nodded, finally feeling himself relax slightly. "You won't have to worry about her. I'd never hurt her."

"I know. I'm glad she found you. My own father was a mean man and I always feared that I'd turn out the same way, that I'd pass that on to my own kids. Hearing what happened to her with Alex…" Hershel paused, feeling a lump in his throat, he always did when he thought of that man and what he'd done to his daughter.

He sighed deeply. "I'm just glad she has you. I know you'll never let anything like that happen to her again."

Daryl felt the air leave his lungs with a sudden breath. Hershel words left him feeling shell shocked. Hershel noticed his expression and smiled sadly. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve this. You both do."

Daryl looked up at the man and for once he felt at ease with him. He could finally relax around him, knowing that he didn't hold a grudge against him for being with Rhiannon. "Thanks." He said quietly.

A loud rattling broke the conversation. Daryl stood and raised his bow in a knee jerk reaction.

"What is that?" Hershel asked, looking around for the source of the noise but it was hard to see through the darkness.

Daryl reached over for the binoculars and what he saw made his already cold body freeze. Walkers were at their fences, a whole herd that covered the mass of the street in front of the storage building.

Their only exit was blocked off.

* * *

 **Dun Dun Dun**

 **We still have some original material to get through before season 3 starts. I have some storylines I want them to suffer because I love putting my oc through hell, but I promise, the prison is coming soon!**

 **As always, a huge thank you for reading and reviewing my loves! xx**


	29. Chapter 29

Rhiannon was startled out of her sleep and looked up at Beth with bleary eyes. The fear on her sister's face was troubling and it snapped her out of her sleepy daze immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a herd outside."

Beth's words made her blood run cold. She nodded stiffly and sprang up from her bed. She made sure to grab her sword and strap the sheath over her shoulder as she quickly followed Beth out.

Everyone was grouped together, the nervous energy around them was palpable. Rhiannon's eyes roamed over the group, her eyes frantically moving as she looked for the man she couldn't see.

"He's fine, he's still on the roof." Her father told her, placing an arm over her shoulder.

"So what do we do? Can we wait it out? Maybe they'll pass?" Glenn asked, keeping a tight grip on Maggie's hand.

Rick shook his head. "We can't risk them breaking the fence. If they get into the lot, we're trapped here."

"What if we hop the fence at the back?"

"And leave the cars? It's not worth it."

A tense silence fell over them as they came to the only conclusion, their only option. Rick's eyes trailed over everyone and he nodded sternly. "We have to fight. Everyone get your stuff together, we leave in two minutes."

There was a flurry of activity as everyone began to run back to their rooms. Rick checked his gun and walked over to the bag where they kept their very limited ammo. Rhiannon trailed after him nervously.

"Rick, we don't have enough ammo for this and the noise will only draw more in."

The leader sighed and turned to face her, running a hand over his tired face. "What else can we do? We can't risk stayin'."

"There's other ways to fight."

Rick stared at her blankly, his eyes moved to the weapon over her shoulder and realization set in. His eyes widened and he sent her a disapproving glare that reminded her too much of her father.

"Rhiannon, no."

"It's the best way! We won't waste ammo and we can get outta here quietly." Rhiannon argued stubbornly.

"No! I'm not gonna let you mow down that herd by yourself." Rick said sternly.

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What I decide to do isn't your choice."

Rick sighed in exasperation and cursed under his breath. He looked down at her, breathing heavily, not happy to give in. "You don't go alone."

"Glenn's been practicing with the machete we found last week, I'll ask him." She said and before he could respond, Rhiannon had turned on her heel and was running to find the man.

She skidded along the tile floors and stopped in front of Glenn and Maggie's room where they were frantically shoving their things into their bags.

"Glenn, ready to finally put that thing to good use?" She asked, nodding her head down to the machete that lay beside his bag.

Glenn looked up wide eyed. He followed her eye line and looked down at the weapon. He ignored the brief spike of fear that flowed through him and nodded.

Rhiannon smiled endearingly at him. His nervous expression reminded her of their time at that bar months ago. "You and me, you up for it?"

"Definitely." He responded, this time with a little more confidence and a small smile on his face. Rhiannon smiled wider but it fell and she let out a loud sigh when she noticed Maggie's less than pleased face.

She darted out of their room as Maggie began to question her. "Can't talk, I gotta get my stuff!" She yelled as she practically ran away from her sister like a child.

Rhiannon moved as fast as she could, grabbing both hers and Daryl's things. She walked out with the two backpacks and handed them to Beth.

"Make sure these get put in the car."

Beth frowned and looked up at her in confusion. "W-what?" Her face suddenly turned fearful. "Rhi, what are you doing?"

"I'm making sure you get out safe. I'll come back to you, I promise." Rhiannon spoke rapidly and placed her hands on her baby sister's cheeks. "I promise." She placed a kiss to her forehead before pulling away.

"Ready?" She turned to Glenn who nodded, silently basking in fear.

"Ok, here's the plan," Rick spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Rhiannon and Glenn distract the herd while we get to the cars. They'll open the gates and the walkers will follow them to the back of the building. They circle back to the front where we'll be waiting."

"Let's hope the gate's clear by then." Rhiannon mused dryly while zipping up her coat.

"Don't say that." Glenn groaned, she was _not_ helping to calm his nerves.

Rhiannon's eyes trailed over the group and her shoulders sagged in defeat when she didn't find the steely blue eyes of the one she was looking for.

"He's still up on the roof." Rick told her solemnly.

"He's gonna kill me." She mumbled with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah." Rick said slowly.

Rhiannon scrunched her nose up. "You're supposed to tell me everything's gonna be fine."

"This is Daryl we're talkin' about. He's gonna be pissed." Rick stated matter of factly. Rhiannon let out a small laugh, at least he had made her relax just the slightest by making her laugh. "Good luck out there." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Rhiannon gave him a curt nod and looked back at her family and the rest of the group that all had similar looks of fear and dread. Hershel looked at his eldest daughter with a small smile. Despite the intense fear that gripped at his heart, he couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of her bravery. She reminded him of her mother.

"Ready?" She turned to Glenn.

"As I'll ever be." He responded and he gave one last look of longing to Maggie who was shaking with nerves.

The walked out into the parking lot and they both immediately shivered at the cold air.

"We should pick off as many as we can through the fence."

The two of them ran towards the fence and they both simultaneously grimaced at the sight in front of them. Rotting hands clawed through the chain link fence, desperate to reach them. Rhiannon took her sword out and skewed a few through the fence.

"This is gonna take forever." She groaned.

She turned and looked up to the roof, hoping to see Daryl. There was no one there, making her sigh. Little did she know, Daryl had seen her and Glenn walk outsides by themselves and had immediately stormed downstairs. Rick had stopped him before he could run outside to get to her, causing the Daryl-esque rage fest everyone had expected to happen when he found out.

"What the fuck, Rick?" He yelled, pushing his arm off his shoulder that had tried to stop him from storming through to door. "You're just gonna let them deal with those fuckers on their own?"

"We have a plan." Rick said slowly, trying to calm the hunter down. "She offered to do this, there was nothin' I could do to stop her. You know there's no stopping her once she sets her mind to something."

Daryl stopped pacing and sighed. That was true, Rhiannon was the most stubborn woman he'd ever met. He didn't blame Rick, she would've just snuck out if he said no.

"We goin' to help them or what?" He snapped harshly, still not entirely calmed from knowing she was out there right now.

Rick hesitated before answering, knowing Daryl wouldn't be happy with the plan. "We're taking the cars out of the lot while they circle round the building."

Daryl breathed heavily through a clenched jaw. He tried desperately not to fly off the handle, but it was becoming more difficult with each passing second that she was out there without him. He stayed silent, he could yell at Rick later, after he knew she was safe.

His lack of response seemed to get the group going and everyone picked up their stuff and followed him out the door and, as quietly as possible, made their way to the cars that were hidden out of view from the front gates.

The anger that coursed through him dissipated into pure fear as his eyes met Rhiannon's from across the lot. He could tell that she felt bad for not giving him any warning, for springing this on him. She moved her gaze to Rick who gave her an affirming nod, the signal she'd been waiting for.

She shared a look with Glenn and took a deep breath before taking off the lock and chain that held the fences close. She jumped back a few yards and held her weapon in her hands tightly. She swung with all her might, grunting with effort as she took down the front row of walkers in front of her.

The two of them were careful to take a couple of steps back every couple of seconds as the crowd in front of them got bigger.

"Come on!" She yelled to Glenn and they started running to the other end of the lot, towards the back of the building. They both rattled the fences and yelled to the walkers to keep the attention on them and not on the sound of the cars starting.

Back with the group, Daryl wondered if this was the scariest moment of his life. Getting continually beaten by his father was horrible, but watching someone he deeply cared about get followed by a whole herd was something that shook him to his core. He couldn't even run after her, Rick's grip on his arm made sure of that.

He only let go when Rhiannon and Glenn were out of sight and they all got into the cars. Daryl's bike was strapped into the boot of the truck T-Dog was driving and he got in the passenger seat. It was only when they slowly made their way through the gates that he realized there was no room for Rhiannon, she'd have to go to another vehicle.

Daryl punched the door next to him and grit his teeth. T-Dog looked over at him, breaking the nervous tapping rhythm of his fingers against the steering wheel.

"Hey, man, she knows how to handle herself out there. She'll be fine."

Daryl ignored him and continued to stare out his window, hoping to see her turn the corner. He was getting more desperate with each passing second that he didn't see her.

The loud growls of hunger were like alarms in her head. They were ringing in her ears and reminded her how close to danger she really was. She was beginning to question her decision to do this.

She was about to backup a few more paces when Glenn let out a grunt. He was trying to get his arm free from the walker that had him in its clutches, it's jaws dangerously close to taking a bite. Rhiannon pulled on his hood, trying not to feel bad at the sound of the choking breath leaving his throat, and stabbed the walker with her sword.

"You ok?" She asked as they jogged forward. He nodded, straightening out his hood so it wasn't choking him anymore.

"Thanks." He said, slightly out of breath.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly, noticing the way he rubbed at his neck.

"You just saved my life, I don't care how you did it." He laughed.

They moved to the corner of the building and saw the cars were gone from their spot. "Think they're out the gate?"

"Let's hope." She mumbled and they ran away from the herd, not bothering to look back.

They skidded to a stop when they turned the final corner of the building, the gate only twenty feet away, but still crawling with walkers that had been at the back of the crowd and were now follow the direction of the cars.

Rhiannon turned to look behind her, it wouldn't be long before the rest of the herd caught up to them.

"Can't wait it out."

"Well, we've taken out this many, what's a few more?" Glenn said with a smile. Rhiannon raised a brow.

"Weren't you the one freaking out just five minutes ago."

Glenn scoffed. "I wasn't freaking out."

Rhiannon gave him her bullshit look which was usually only used for her sisters, but it did the trick. Glenn sighed. "It was a silent freak out. That's different." He defended himself lamely.

They both tensed, the joking air around them leaving just as quickly as it arrived, as they heard the growls behind them getting louder. They gave each other a nod and ran as stealthily as they could, but the first couple of kills gained the attention of the other walkers who now had their sights set on a potential meal.

Rhiannon yelped as she was dragged back by her arm. She was surprised at the strength of the grip the walker had on her. She grit her teeth, trying to wrench her arm out its grasp. The sleeve of her coat ripped under the its nails and her heart beat faster.

Suddenly an arrow was lodged in its forehead and the walker fell to her feet. She turned on her heel and saw Daryl standing in front of the truck, his door still wide open. Rhiannon smiled at the sight of him and sliced her way through the crowd, making sure to pick up the arrows she found as she went.

The sound of gunshots rang through the night, Rick had quickly followed Daryl out of the car at seeing Rhiannon and Glenn surrounded. He yelled at them to hurry, not caring about the noise he was making. They'd be out of there soon enough, all that mattered in that moment was getting the two of them in the cars safely.

Glenn practically threw himself into the backseat of her car that Maggie was driving and he turned around, dragging Rhiannon in behind him. The car began to speed away before she had even slammed her door closed.

Rhiannon panted and her heart beat erratically as her adrenaline wore off and it began to sink in just how close it had been. She looked down at her coat, her fingers trailing over the tears in the fabric.

She felt a hand on her knee. "You alright?"

Rhiannon looked up at Carol who sat in the passenger seat, concern evident in her eyes. She could only nod in response and leaned back into her seat, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing.

They drove for hours and Rhiannon couldn't calm herself down. Every few minutes, she'd look back at the truck behind her where she knew Daryl was and then back at the car in front of her where her father and Beth were.

She needed to see them. She knew they were ok and she knew _she_ was ok, but that didn't relax her. Just knowing wasn't enough for her right now. She needed to see for herself that everyone was fine.

It was only hours after the sun had risen when they finally stopped the cars. Just by luck, they'd passed a cabin that was hidden by the surrounding trees. It obviously wouldn't be a long term solution, but it was good enough for them to stay a night or two and get some rest before moving on.

Rhiannon had her door open before the car had even come to a full stop. She tried to stop the tears that stung her eyes as she ran into her father's waiting arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her tighter when he felt her trembling.

"You're ok, you're ok." He told her, though it was more to assure him as well.

Rhiannon could only nod against his chest and before she could savour the moment she could feel arms around her waist. Beth's grip on her made her crack a smile. She slowly pulled away from her father and turned, holding Beth close to her.

"Don't ever do that again." Beth mumbled against her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Rhiannon never thought about what her family goes through every time she risks her life for them. She knew if the roles were reversed and she had to watch as her sisters fought while she sat back and did nothing, she'd flip out.

Beth pulled away and ran to Glenn to embrace him. Rhiannon smiled softly at the sight, though it fell when she turned her head and noticed Daryl standing a few feet away from her, his body practically vibrating with anticipation.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out and rushed towards him.

They were both surprised he didn't get knocked off his feet as she threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. Daryl let out a shaking breath and held her in a grip that made her feel winded.

"The fuck were you thinking?" He whispered, his voice softer and weaker than either of them expected.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. She didn't know what else to say, there would never be an explanation good enough for Daryl to feel better about what she did.

Daryl wasn't angry at her, he never could be when it came to her bravery. It was something he admired about her. He was more upset about the fact that he wasn't out there with her. He just had to watch and hope it all went well, and that wasn't something he did well.

They ignored the eyes they knew were watching them. They didn't care anymore, certainly not after the night they suffered through.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly. She nodded, her grip on him refusing to cease.

"I'm ok."

"Don't fuckin' do that again." He told her sternly.

Rhiannon smiled lightly. "Not without you."

"Not even then." He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. He gave her a playful glare, knowing she was about to argue against his words.

Rhiannon let out a small laugh and shook her head. She didn't even have the energy to get annoyed at his protectiveness or to give him a sassy remark back.

"Alright, let's get this house cleared as quick as we can then we can finally get some sleep." Rick spoke up. "Not you two." He quickly added, looking pointedly at Rhiannon and Glenn who both looked ready to help.

Rick waited as T and Maggie walked towards him, their weapons ready. Daryl sighed, knowing he had to go help. It wasn't that he minded clearing out a house, he just didn't want it to be _now._ He wasn't ready to let her out of his sight yet.

Daryl placed his hands on the sides of her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Stay here. Doubt there's much trouble for you to get in out here."

"Don't hold your breath." She mumbled against his neck and placed a light kiss to his skin making him tense slightly. She really wasn't making it easier for him to leave her.

He pulled away from her reluctantly, the look of longing on his face making her smile tiredly. She watched him go with a sigh. It wasn't easy to let him go, it was the same with Maggie, she felt like it wasn't right not being with them when stuff like that was happening.

It didn't take them long to clear out the cabin, and soon enough everyone else was trudging tiredly up the steps. All Rhiannon wanted was to sleep, she didn't even care if she got a bed or not, the floor would be fine.

But, there were things that needed to be done.

Rick was in full leader mode as he assigned jobs to everyone. Rhiannon and Daryl certainly weren't happy about being separated again. Rick wanted her to stay at the cabin, out of danger, while Daryl went hunting.

He wasn't even letting her go on the run to the convenience store that was a few miles back. Rhiannon and Glenn were being forced to stay back and help cover the windows of the cabin.

She flopped down onto the couch next to Glenn as everyone was getting ready to leave. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned softly at the sound of Lori yelling. Rick was letting Carl go on the run and, well, everyone knew the yelling would be inevitable the second Rick had mentioned it.

Amazingly, Rhiannon had fallen asleep through the noise. She didn't even flinch as Glenn fell asleep with his head resting on her shoulder or as Carol and Maggie fawned over the sight of them.

Even Daryl had to laugh at the sight. He felt something stirring inside him. It wasn't jealousy, though he wasn't happy to see Glenn cozied up to his girl, but he knew it was harmless and that Glenn was completely in love with Maggie.

The feeling inside him came from something else. It was because of her. It was just simply adoration for her.

It wasn't something new to him, but it grew with every passing day.

* * *

Hours later, Rhiannon was woken with a gentle nudge to her shoulder. She whined, still feeling like she needed at least twelve more hours of sleep, and opened her tired eyes. She frowned at the weight on her shoulders and turned her head, her eyes narrowing as she saw who exactly was cuddled beside her.

Maggie laughed at the confusion and annoyance on her sister's face. "Come on, dinner's ready."

Rhiannon just groaned nonsensically and threw her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes again.

"Come on, you can sleep as soon as your done, but you need to eat something, you haven't since yesterday." Maggie told her, grabbing her arms and pulling her up to a standing position, and rolling her eyes at Rhiannon's child like whine.

"You got her?" Daryl asked from the doorway, smirking in amusement at the sight in front of him. He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Rhiannon's waist as Maggie moved to wake Glenn who was still out cold, even after losing his human pillow.

Rhiannon leaned against Daryl as they walked into the kitchen. Daryl bit his lip, trying to hide his smile as he watched her eat in her sleepy state. She was absolutely adorable.

Dinner was finished in record time, everyone being eager to finally go to sleep, except for Rick, who was taking first watch. 'The adults' of the group were getting to stay in the only two bedrooms. Rhiannon had just rolled her eyes at Carol who innocently explained that she was young, she could handle sleeping on the floor.

T-Dog was already snoring away, passed out on the couch while Maggie and Glenn were huddled together by the fire. Maggie gave her a tired smile and mouthed a goodnight before laying her head down and closing her eyes. Beth and Carl were deep in sleep and Rhiannon smiled at the sight of them as she tiptoed around them to get to where Daryl was laying down blankets for them.

He had managed to make it somewhat secluded. Even if the others were still in the same room, he had picked a spot away from them, giving them a semblance of privacy.

Rhiannon was still wearing her coat, they'd only gotten the fire started a couple of hours ago and she had only just began to feel the warmth spread through her. She sat next to Daryl, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks from his stare.

She desperately wished they were alone.

Daryl suddenly bolted up, his hand shooting out to grab her arm. She froze and stared at him with a startled expression. His wide eyes were locked onto the rip on the sleeve of her coat, the three long, jagged tears that he knew was the work of a walker.

He felt like his body was submerged in ice water, a vicious chill running up his spine that made his body lock rigidly. His hand trembled slightly as his fingers gently traced the rip. He choked on his breath, letting out a hopeless sounding, weak gasp.

"Daryl," Rhiannon started softly, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

He yanked off her coat frantically. He blinked back the tears that suddenly stung his eyes as his mind screamed at him that he was going to lose her, that he didn't protect her. He couldn't lose her, she was the only good thing left in the world, the only thing he gave a damn about.

"Daryl, baby, look at me. I'm fine." She reassured him but his eyes stayed glued to the spot on her arm he was convinced had damned her. "Look, it didn't get me." She told him, holding out her arm to show the long sleeve shirt she wore, completely intact.

It wasn't good enough for him. He pushed her sleeve up, his fingers trailing up her bare skin, making goosebumps rise and sending a shiver down her spine. He let out a deep breath in relief at the sight of her skin unharmed and leaned his forehead against her shoulder.

Rhiannon pressed a kiss to the top of his head and wrapped her arms around his broad back. "It's ok." She whispered over and over until she finally felt his tense body relax against her.

They stayed in that position for awhile, he didn't even let go of her when they laid down. Daryl held her close in a vice grip that made her wonder if she'd have a bruise on her hip.

"Fuck, Rhi. Don't know what the fuck I'd do if-"

"Don't." She told him firmly, her hand moving to graze the side of his face.

"Can't lose you." Daryl whispered.

"You won't."

He looked up at her and felt breathless at the look in her big brown eyes, his biggest weakness. He leaned down, crushing his lips against hers. There was nothing slow about the kiss, it was just as frantic as Daryl had felt.

He hovered over her as they kissed fiercely. Daryl wanted to moan as her hands ran up and down his back. He wanted to just lose himself inside of her, he wanted to forget everything that had happened the night before, he just wanted her close.

Rhiannon let out a low moan and pushed at his chest. "Daryl." She warned softly.

He sighed and nodded, bringing himself back to lay beside her. He looked around the room, making sure everyone was still asleep and that he hadn't just given them a show.

Rhiannon closed her eyes and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, breathing in his woodsy scent that put her at ease instantly. Daryl wrapped his arms around her, practically hugging her to him. He felt the tension leave his body as he held her. He never thought that he'd ever be in a position like this, holding the woman he cared for so deeply, he never knew that something could be so good. He was just so damn thankful he found out.

"Never leavin' my sight." He mumbled, pressing a light kiss to her hair.

Rhiannon just smiled lightly and nodded against his chest. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, Daryl's tight grip on her never ceasing throughout the night.

* * *

 **I was so tempted to put smut in this chapter. You'll just have to wait for the next one ;)**

 **Season 3 is getting closer, but there's still a few plot points I wanna get through first. I love to make my oc suffer...**

 **Thanks for reading! xx**


	30. Chapter 30

**Can't believe we're already at chapter 30! Thank you to everyone that's reading and reviewing xx**

* * *

Rhiannon giggled as Daryl swatted her wandering hands away. He sent her a warning look, pleading with her not to do this when there was no time to take it any further.

"Stop." He mumbled, giving her a look of impatience.

"What?" Rhiannon smiled innocently

"You know exactly what." Daryl drawled, finally grabbing her hands in his. "You best go before I can't help myself, Darlin'."

Rhiannon's smile faltered and she looked up at him with wide eyes, looking pleasantly shocked. "Darling?" She asked teasingly. Daryl's face went red and he looked down at his shoes, thoroughly embarrassed that he'd let the pet name slip out.

Rhiannon tugged at his shirt, making him stumble towards her. "I like it." She whispered and stood on the tip of her toes so she could reach his lips.

Daryl calmed at her touch but broke the kiss all too soon. He wasn't kidding, he was considering blowing off his hunt just to stay with her. He knew he couldn't let that happen though, so that meant he had to get away from her before she could tempt him anymore.

"I'll see you later." He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Rhiannon sent him a wink as she walked out of the room reluctantly. She wished that man wasn't so damn compassionate and reliable and would just blow off his duties for once.

It had been at least two months since they had lost the warehouse. Two months of living house to house, constantly on the run.

They finally found an apartment complex above some old antique store. It provided good cover and everyone had a bed, that was pretty much the selling factor for everyone, Rhiannon especially. She was tired of her back aching from sleeping on the floor.

She stepped out onto the balcony where Rick was sat taking watch. She held out a plate for him and gave him a stern look that rivaled the fatherly glare he usually gave her. Rick sighed and took the plate from her, Rhiannon only toning down her glare when he finally started eating.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back in her chair. "Can't wait for it to warm up. Feels like it's been winter for a year." She mused, looking out at the bare trees. She was just thankful the snow had gone.

She shivered slightly at the breeze that blew by them and wrapped her scarf around herself a little tighter. She had ditched her winter coat a few weeks back. It had been a little daunting to see the tears the walker had left on the sleeve and she knew Daryl couldn't stand looking at it so she just threw it out and was wearing a new one they had managed to find.

Rick nodded at her words. "I know what you mean. But when it gets hot, we'll be wishing for winter again."

Rhiannon laughed slightly. He was right, there was no happy middle. She turned her gaze back to Rick and frowned at the deep bags under his tired eyes. He had been working so hard since they lost the farm, he'd been staying up almost every night since they lost the storage lockers.

"Are you ok?" Rhiannon asked suddenly, catching him off guard.

"I'm fine. We finally have a place where we can rest and pull ourselves together, can't complain 'bout that." He shrugged.

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him. "You haven't exactly been taking advantage of that. Have you taken a night off watch in the past month?"

"Can't afford not to." He said nonchalantly.

"Rick," She sighed deeply, shaking her head. "You have a whole group of people behind you who're willing to step up and help you carry the load. Just take one night off. We're not totally incapable of handling it ourselves." She said, a hint of sarcasm in her last sentence.

Rick sighed, giving her a small smile. "I know you can handle it and I appreciate the help, I really do, It's just...I'm the leader. I'm supposed to make sure you're all safe and I haven't exactly been doin' a good job of that."

"Rick, we haven't lost anyone since the farm, I'd call that a win."

"I know, but there was that time at the store, and then all the herds we always seem to run into. It's like we can't go one week without _something_ happening."

Rhiannon tensed as he brought up that time in the store when they'd been attacked and she was almost raped. She still thought about the man she killed, it still haunted her. Rick noticed the look on her face and mumbled an apology for bringing it up.

"Rick, I don't give a shit if we get run out by walkers, I'd be surprised if we didn't. That's just the way of the world now. We gotta take our victories as they come. And having the people you love safe and sound beside you, I don't think the victories get any better than that."

Rick turned to face her, looking slightly bewildered. He chuckled, shaking his head. "You sure you weren't a motivational speaker before this?"

Rhiannon scoffed and nudged him slightly, shaking her head. "Seriously though, you've done a lot for us. My dad's safe, my sisters are safe, your son's safe, and despite all the shit that's happened, your pregnant wife is safe and healthy. That's all that matters now."

Rick rolled his eyes slightly. "Yeah, my pregnant wife is healthy and hates me, that's a great win." He said sarcastically.

"You two still aren't talking?" Rhiannon asked, not sure if she should bring it up or not. She was sure he wouldn't want to talk about his marital problems.

Rick shook his head. "She doesn't wanna talk to me. If she does, it's to yell at me about something I did wrong, cause apparently I always do the wrong thing."

Rhiannon winced at his sharp tone. She hadn't seen him this worked up since that first night on the road when he'd lost it on everyone.

"Well, have you tried talking to her to work things out?" Rick's silence was her answer and she rolled her eyes. "What is it with men? You never wanna work shit out, you just expect it to get better on its own without having to lift a finger."

Rick raised a questioning brow. "Is there trouble in paradise?" He asked with a smirk, thinking she was projecting her own relationship problems onto him.

Rhiannon gave him a halfhearted glare. "Not like that. I've dated my fair share of d-bags in the past and trust me, you don't wanna make the same mistakes as them. You have to actually give a shit and try."

Rick's smile faded and he nodded wearily, thinking over her words. "I just wonder if we're past that point, that just giving it another try and talkin' things out ain't gonna be enough." He said quietly. "We were already on the rocks before all this shit happened."

"So what? Call up an attorney and get a divorce?"

Rick laughed slightly. "Wish it was that easy."

Rhiannon frowned at the dejected tone in his voice. It was something that had become the norm with him lately. "Whatever happens, you'll be ok, and you won't be alone." She reached over and grabbed his hand, making him look up at her. He gave her a grateful smile, something she hadn't seen on his face in weeks, and squeezed her hand.

From the kitchen, Lori stood rigidly with her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping incessantly. She turned on her heel as Daryl stepped in to grab a bottle of water before he went out to hunt.

"Are you ok with this?" She snapped, her arm gesturing out the window to where Rick and Rhiannon sat.

"Am I ok with two people talkin'?" He snarked, barely holding back the urge to roll his eyes and snap at her the way she deserved. He'd noticed the way she looked at Rhiannon and he was tired of it, and he couldn't believe Rick was just sitting back and letting her treat him the way she was, it was ridiculous to him.

Lori scoffed at his words. "You think they're just talking?"

"'S what it looks like." He said and resisted the urge to laugh. He could practically hear Rhiannon's voice in his head, teasing him for his sassiness. They'd spent so much time together, he'd adopted her attitude and was starting to sound like her.

"Oh, please. You're honestly telling me you're not the least bit worried about their 'friendship'?"

Daryl was about to snap back at her but he paused, her words rattling around in his head. He looked out to the balcony and frowned when he saw Rick throw his head back and laugh at something Rhiannon said.

The rational part of his brain knew it was harmless, that the two of them were just friends and that Rhiannon had that kind of personality. She was open and friendly with everyone, it didn't mean anything. But the other part of the brain, the part Rhiannon had successfully kept relatively quiet since they got together, raised its ugly head.

Carol suddenly walked in, breaking his train of thought. The older woman paused and eyed the two of them with scrutiny. The tension between them was obvious.

"Everything ok?" She asked slowly, her eyes drifting from Daryl's tense form to Lori who stood angrily with her arms crossed.

"Yeah." Daryl mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "You'd think she'd have more respect for the woman that saved her son." He growled as he walked past the women and out of the room.

Carol watched him go, her jaw slack with shock at his words.

"What the hell was that about?" Carol asked, turning back to Lori whose anger had vanished. All that was left was a guilty expression.

"Lori?" Carol pried when she got no answer.

"I was, I just...she's gotten so close to Rick." She mumbled quietly, her voice laced with sadness and guilt.

Carol wanted to yell at the woman in front of her, but she knew she was going through a lot. Her pregnancy hormones weren't exactly letting her be rational.

"You really think she'd do that to you? To Daryl?"

Lori just shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that my husband is spending more time with her than with me."

Carol rolled her eyes. "Can you blame him? Rhiannon doesn't yell at him for every decision he makes." She felt bad for speaking the truth, but Carol had had enough of her attitude and she needed to give the woman a little tough love.

"What the hell were you thinking putting that in his head?" She continued, pointing out the doorway where Daryl had stomped off. "He's already dealing with a lifetime of self esteem issues, then you pile on with some bullshit that the woman he loves may be flirting around with someone else?"

"I know! I shouldn't have said anything. I just saw them together and I got so angry-"

"Lori, I know things aren't going easy for you right now, but you have to stop blaming everyone else for your problems." Carol spoke sternly and walked away before Lori could say anything else.

She put on a forced smile as she stepped outside, taking a seat next to Rhiannon.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" The younger woman asked happily.

"Gotta practice my shooting." Carol said with an excited smile, holding up a rifle with a brand new silencer attached.

"Nice." Rhiannon mused, letting out a small laugh at the sight of Carol with a gun. She didn't think she'd ever get used to that.

"Are you ok? You look a little frazzled." Rick asked.

 _Damn cop,_ she thought to herself. Carol just smiled even wider and hoped it didn't look as fake as it felt. She couldn't tell Rick about the havoc Lori was wreaking. She wanted to give the man a damn break from the fighting.

"Everything's fine." She said sweetly, probably too sweetly because even Rhiannon raised a brow, finding her behaviour strange.

Eventually, they let it go and the conversation moved on to something else. Carol fought the urge to warn Rhiannon about what happened with Daryl and Lori, but she knew it would be better if she didn't.

If Rhiannon confronted Daryl about it, Carol was sure he'd close up and that would just make it worse. It was always a slippery slope when Daryl's emotions were involved.

Carol was positive that all of Daryl's negative thoughts and paranoid worries would disappear when Rhiannon pulled him into a hug the second he got back.

She knew Daryl wasn't one for public displays of affection, but it was obvious that he loved those moments. The shy smile on his face when she hugged him was a beautiful thing to see.

It made Carol feel like a proud mom, like her weeks of meddling had finally paid off.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, she'd looked out for Daryl. She knew about his past, she could see the signs, and as the weeks passed, she'd seen his caring heart shine through his abrasive personality that had been just a tacked on performance to sate Merle. She'd grown to care for him like a mother.

All she wanted was for him to be happy, it was what he deserved. Carol looked over at Rhiannon who laid back in her chair, looking relaxed and at peace in the warm sun. She smiled lightly, knowing that Daryl had found his happiness.

* * *

Carol was right. Rhiannon had seen Daryl from the balcony and she had practically raced out of her seat and out of the room to meet him. They had stayed next to each other for the rest of the day, barely leaving two feet of space between them the entire time.

Glenn had found a bottle of wine in one of the empty apartments and everyone was more than willing to indulge and let loose for a night. Rhiannon had her legs strewn over Daryl's lap as her ipod played through the crappy speakers they had found.

Daryl had a relaxed smile on his face as he watched Rhiannon laugh with Maggie. He wasn't paying any attention to the conversations going on, his mind was solely focused on her. It had been weeks since he'd seen her like this. Things were finally settling down thanks to the shelter they'd found.

Everyone was less on edge. Even he was.

"You good?" Rhiannon leaned over to whisper to him. She'd noticed how quiet he was and was worried that he was uncomfortable being around everyone.

Daryl smiled shyly, touched at her concern for him. It was something no one had ever shown him before.

"I'm good." He told her, reaching over to grab her hand in his. Rhiannon looked down at their intertwined hands with surprise. He had gotten comfortable with her touch over the months but making a move in front of the group, for them all to see, was unheard of.

Rhiannon smiled widely and decided it was her job to push the envelope. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, making his face go red. A triumphant smirk painted her face and she sat back in her spot.

"I wish we had more dessert." Carl said sadly. He found a bag of chocolate chips and, while he'd been excited to finally find some chocolate, it wasn't the best.

"Here, you just gotta get creative." Rhiannon told him, grabbing the bag from him. She took out a handful of chips and sprinkled them in the jar of peanut butter she'd been eating with a spoon. "Voila." She said dramatically.

"Uh oh." Rick muttered, a small smile on his face at the pure joy he saw on Carl's face as he ate the newly discovered junk food. "Thank you for that."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes playfully at Rick's tone.

The laughing and the joking suddenly seized as the sound of a soft guitar filled the room. Beth had been going through her sister's ipod, trying to find the perfect song. She turned to Rhiannon, almost shyly, and began to sing along to the song that meant the world to her.

Rhiannon sighed happily and leaned against Daryl's chest, grabbing his arm and wrapping it around herself, causing him to chuckle slightly at her forwardness.

 _Moon river, wider than a mile_

 _I'm crossing you in style some day_

 _Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker_

 _Wherever you're going, I'm going your way_

Rhiannon tried to quell her emotions as she listened to her baby sister sing. This was the song she had sung to her after she'd cut her wrists, it was the song she'd been singing to her sister since she was a baby. It was the song Beth would beg her to sing over the phone when she was sick, even sometimes going as far to give a fake cough to persuade her. It was the song Beth sang to her after she'd caught her crying after a fight with their dad.

Moon River was their anthem, their declaration of love to each other.

Rhiannon was content in the moment but her eyes caught Lori's who looked at her with a nervous expression. She tensed slightly, wondering if she'd done something to piss her off again. She hadn't taken Carl out in weeks, it couldn't have been that. She had no idea just how much guilt the woman was feeling at that moment.

Daryl noticed her tense against him and he looked up, noticing Lori's stare. He sent her a glare back, making her look away.

He was tired of her attitude and he was more than a little pissed off at her for what she'd been insinuating that day. He knew Rhiannon cared about him, he knew he didn't have to worry when it came to her. But after what he'd been through all his life, it was easy to get wrapped up in doubt. And Lori knew that.

Daryl tightened his grip on Rhiannon and pressed a kiss to her temple. It could've been for his own comfort or hers, or it could've been a silent 'fuck you' to Lori, he didn't know.

Rhiannon closed her eyes, listening to her sister's sweet voice and feeling completely at ease in her man's arms. She was more than a little surprised at Daryl's actions, it really wasn't like him to be so open and affectionate in front of everyone, but she wasn't going to complain.

As Daryl listened to Beth sing those familiar words, he was brought back to the first time he had heard them. It was just days after he'd lashed out at her after that amazing first kiss. He was still kicking himself for being such an ass to her. He knew that was the last thing on her mind nowadays, that she'd gotten over it completely, but the fact that he'd hurt her still haunted him.

Daryl hadn't meant to eavesdrop that night, but he'd heard Rhiannon's beautiful voice and all logic was gone from his brain.

She still had that effect on him.

Daryl ran his fingers gently up and down the length of her arm, this time making sure it was on the other side of her body so the rest of the group wouldn't see. He let out a sigh, feeling the same old relief he felt everytime he thought of how far they'd come.

He would never stop being amazed at the fact that she'd forgiven him. He didn't know why she did, but he was so relieved for it.

* * *

"Shhh." Daryl reminded her from his place between her legs. He winced and sent her a warning look as she just pulled his hair even tighter in response. "You best behave, Darlin'."

Rhiannon bit her lip, her cheeks heating up at her new pet name. The smirk on his face sent her into a tizzy, as if she wasn't already. Her head fell back against the pillow as he brought his mouth back down on her, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

She was so glad Daryl had gotten over his insecurities over the past months. He'd been so nervous to do this for her after very reluctantly telling her he'd never done it for anyone before.

He was definitely a pro now.

She let her eyes fall closed and a small, breathy moan left her parted lips as his mouth devoured her. She writhed under him, her hips moving upwards against his mouth, making his hands wander around her thighs to keep her still.

"Fuck," She whispered, curling her toes as he moved his tongue faster.

A loud gasp left her as he plunged his tongue into her. She shivered and gripped onto his growing hair tightly as he moaned against her. Daryl's eyes flitted over her body, he didn't know where to look. The pleasure on her face was the best thing he'd ever seen for sure, but his eyes moved to her breasts that heaved with each gasping breath and he thought that _that_ might be the best thing he'd ever seen. But the sight of her legs strewn over his shoulders, her thighs surrounding him, that made him crazy too. He just couldn't decide.

Rhiannon tried desperately to muffle her moans but as soon as he moved his hand to her clit, she was unable to keep quiet.

"Daryl," She moaned, dragging out the syllables of his name. He moaned in response and tightened his grip on her thighs.

Her mind spun with pleasure as he lapped at her. She pulled at his hair, her legs clenching around him as she felt her peak getting closer. Daryl moved his tongue at a frantic pace, making her voice raise in pitch and volume. He should've stopped and reminded her to be quiet, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He wanted to hear what he did to her, it drove him crazy, making him feel close even though she hadn't even touched him.

She gasped his name over and over and let out a loud cry as she reached her peak. Her voice was raspy and her back arched, her hips bucking upwards. Daryl watched with fascination, seeing her in rapture made him hard as a rock.

Daryl pulled away from her, panting slightly. Rhiannon's tense body slowly relaxed as he kissed the inside of her thigh and began to move his way up her body. He stopped at the tattoo on her hip and sucked harshly, making a hickey over the dark ink.

She let out a small giggle at the feeling of him nibbling on her skin. She sighed, still out of breath as he pressed gentle kisses up her torso, to the ink between her breasts. Rhiannon squirmed under him, a low moan escaping as he gently tugged at her piercing with his teeth. He moved his lips up to her neck making her smile widely as he hovered above her.

His blue eyes were darker than usual as he stared down at her hungrily. The blissed out expression on her face made him smile lightly. He gently brushed his fingers against her cheek, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a crushing kiss. Rhiannon moaned happily and wrapped her arms around him. She hated feeling those scars on his back, she always wondered if he felt uncomfortable with her touching them, but he never said anything. She figured he was always too caught up in what they were doing to really think about it.

Daryl pulled away breathless, looking down at her in awe.

"So fuckin' beautiful." He said quietly, his eyes moving over his face.

Rhiannon blushed at his words, she'd never get over hearing him say those words. "You're such a charmer." She teased with a smirk.

Daryl huffed out a laugh and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Don't know what I did to deserve you." He whispered, looking down at her like he was surprised she was still there, like he was surprised that things between them had gotten this far and this serious.

"You...were...you." Rhiannon spoke in between kisses. Daryl smiled lightly at her gentle touch and buried his face in the crook of her neck, placing kisses along her jaw.

"Daryl," her voice made him pull away to look down at her. "Fuck me." She told him simply, her fiery gaze piercing him, making him feel hot all over.

He groaned at her words and leaned his forehead against hers, his forearms rested next to her head as he hovered above her. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep what little control he had left as he guided himself inside her.

Rhiannon's nails dug into his shoulders as he slowly moved inside her. Daryl let out a low growl as she clenched around him. He was only halfway in and he was already feeling little pinpricks at the base of his spine.

He pushed deeper, causing a shaking breath to leave her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to move slowly. He started breathing heavily as he moved deeper with each slow thrust.

He squeezed his eyes shut as she tightened around him. "Fuck, don't do that." He groaned, stopping his movements. He didn't want it to be over so soon, that would be embarrassing.

Rhiannon smiled mischievously causing Daryl to narrow his eyes at her playfully. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. She bucked her hips upwards, urging him to move faster. He groaned as she moved against him, causing him to move with more vigour.

A loud gasp left her lips as he moved harder. She threw her head back and scratched at his shoulders, letting out a loud moan with each of his hard thrusts. She whispered his name, making him bite at her shoulder in response. He would never get over hearing her say his name in pleasure.

"Fuck, you feel so good." He panted, pressing a messy kiss to her lips, their tongues tangling frantically. "Always feel so good." He mumbled against her.

Rhiannon smiled through the kiss and dragged her nails down the length of his back, making him arch and tense his shoulders. She inched her leg upwards, Daryl quickly getting the hint and grabbed onto her thigh, heaving her leg over his shoulder.

They both moaned loudly as he was able to go even deeper in this position. Daryl clenched his jaw tightly and pushed her leg even further to the point where it was almost touching her shoulder, one of the perks of being with a dancer. Her flexibility never failed to make his knees buckle.

He watched her intently as his thrusts remained hard and slow. Every moan that left her lips was music to his ears, the best sound in the world to him. Every expression on her face, from that small smile, to those brown eyes that rendered him under her spell like a siren and a sailor, it was the most intoxicating thing he'd ever seen.

Watching her as she threw her head back and moaned, seeing her eyes close and jaw falling slack, it was all because of him. That knowledge alone was enough to send him over the edge.

Rhiannon noticed the way he was studying her intently and she smirked wickedly, leaning up to kiss him roughly. She bit his bottom lip and pulled, earning a loud grunt in return.

He panted loudly and gripped onto her thigh, his other hand finding its way into her long hair. He knew she loved to tease him about his fixation with pulling her hair, but he also knew she loved it just as much as him.

Her whole body shuddered and her grip on him tightened as he rolled his hips, grinding against her. She had to bite her lip to keep from being too loud as his hand moved down and he began rubbing her clit. Her chest heaved with each breath and she found herself dangerously close to the edge.

"Uh, _Daryl_...fuck." Rhiannon moaned. She began to chant his name like a mantra. Her body went rigid and she couldn't keep ahold of her climax any longer. Her brows furrowed and her eyes squeezed shut as a loud gasping moan left her. She wasn't sure how loud she was being but she was sure it was too loud.

Daryl watched with fascination as she came, wanting to sear that image in his brain forever. His loud breaths turned into low moans and groans as she tightened around him, to the point where it was hard to keep the momentum of his thrusts.

He grimaced, looking like he was in pain. All it took was a couple more thrusts and he was thrown over the edge. He made sure to move his head to the crook of her neck to muffle his sounds as he let out a soft cry of pleasure.

His vision went white and for a moment it worried him, but he was too wrapped up in the intense orgasm he was having to care. Rhiannon wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as they trembled against each other.

It took minutes for the last shocks of pleasure to finally dissipate and for both of them to finally calm their breathing and racing hearts. Daryl stayed on top of her, wrapped up in her arms even after it was all over.

As soon as he finally did move off of her and rolled onto his back, they both missed the contact. Daryl closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

"Fuck." He mumbled.

Rhiannon started to giggle quietly before it turned into a full laugh. The sound made him chuckle slightly but the timing made him nervous.

"What's so funny?" He asked skeptically, unable to keep his self conscious thoughts from invading his mind.

Rhiannon looked over at him and bit her lip to stop her laughter. She felt bad, laughing after sex wasn't exactly a good sign and she could only imagine what he thought that meant.

"I'm just happy. Never thought I'd find someone like you." She told him honestly, a shy smile on her face. She was always worried about sharing her feelings around him, she was still paranoid that she'd scare him off and cause him to close up around her.

Daryl relaxed and couldn't stop the wide smile from spreading on his face. It was one of the rare times Rhiannon got to see him like this. "Me too." He said quietly.

Rhiannon sighed, feeling relieved by his answer. She reached over and grabbed his hand, tangling his fingers with hers.

"Now get over here." He said, grabbing her waist and pulling her over to him, making her practically lay on top of him. Rhiannon laughed and laid her head on his chest.

"Who knew you were such a cuddler?"

Daryl huffed out a laugh and pinched her lightly, making her squeal. She pinched his nipple in return making him jump and yelp in surprise. She laughed at his reaction and the shocked look on his face.

"Don't even try, you won't win." She told him, her voice revealing how tired she was. She let herself relax against him and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight." She mumbled lazily, letting the exhaustion take over her. She was tired before they went to bed, but obviously not tired enough to say no to amazing sex. But after that workout, she was delirious.

"Night." Daryl said quietly, letting his hand gently run up and down her back, his fingers playing with the strand of her long hair.

He wanted to tell her how happy he was with her. How he never thought he'd find himself in this position. He never knew he was a cuddler either, he thought he'd never get the chance to find out. He wanted to tell her how much he loved holding her close, how much she meant to him, but he stayed quiet and let himself fall into a deep sleep with his arms around her.

* * *

 **Some sweet loving before I hurt my oc again.**

 **As always, a huge thank you for all the reviews. You guys make my day, you're honestly so amazing and I never expected to get this kind of support.**

 **Enjoy! xx**


	31. Chapter 31

It was the middle of the night when Rhiannon stirred awake. She sighed softly at noticing the lack of light, annoyed that she'd woken long before she had to. She glanced over at Daryl who was still sound asleep. She smiled lightly and propped herself up on her elbow.

A soft whimper left her lips as an intense pain suddenly spread across her abdomen. She groaned quietly and moved to lay on her back again.

"Fuck." She whispered, rubbing her hand over her pelvis, suddenly realizing what had woken her.

She was used to getting bad cramps during her period, but this was worse, this was a kind of pain she hadn't had in over a year.

She carefully pried Daryl's arm from her waist, moving as slow as possible so she wouldn't wake him.

She winced as the bedsprings creaked slightly as she moved to get out of bed. She turned back to Daryl, watching his sleeping form with bated breath.

She waited a few seconds but he didn't stir. Rhiannon smiled lightly and softly ran her fingers through his hair with a feather light touch. He'd been working so hard lately, she knew how exhausted he was so it wasn't surprising that he didn't wake.

As soon as Rhiannon stood, she almost instantly doubled over as the pain got more intense. She bit back a whimper, her bottom lip clenched between her teeth tightly.

She breathed deeply as she put on the sweatpants that were hanging out of her bag and lazily threw on the plaid shirt Daryl had been wearing the day before that she had so carelessly tore off him just hours before.

She moved out of the room slowly, hugging the wall as she walked gingerly, each movement resulting in another bout of pain.

She made her way into the bathroom and turned the flashlight on, causing an eerie glow to encase the otherwise pitch black room. After putting a tampon in she leaned against the counter, her head hanging between her arms as she breathed deeply, coaching herself through the familiar pain.

"It'll pass. You're gonna be fine." She whispered to herself, though she didn't really believe the words she was saying.

After a few minutes, she decided to get back into bed. Nothing was going to help her pain so she figured she may as well be curled up next to Daryl while she suffered. She opened the door and slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the yelp that left her as she bumped into a dark figure.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know you were in there." Glenn whispered, holding onto her shoulders to steady her.

"It's ok." Rhiannon breathed out, placing a hand over her racing heart. She feigned a smile and moved out of grasp, her face contorting at the pain that ensued.

Glenn's eyes narrowed and he brought his lighter closer to see her face better. "Are you ok?"

Rhiannon nodded rapidly. "Yeah, just...I have...cramps." She lied, not wanting him to freak him out about her health issues, and Glenn wasn't exactly the person she wanted to confide in about her ovary problems.

"Oh, uhm...ok. Well, goodnight." He stuttered nervously.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and began walking back to her room. She was definitely right about not confiding in him, the guy couldn't even handle normal female bodily functions without blushing like a school boy.

She crawled her way back into bed beside Daryl who was still fast asleep. She kept the blanket at her waist, the man beside her was a walking furnace, she didn't need it.

She laid wide awake, the sharp pain in her pelvis making it impossible for her to relax enough to fall back asleep. She turned on her side with a great effort and admired the man beside her.

Daryl laid on his stomach, soft snores leaving his parted lips. Rhiannon shifted herself closer to him and it was like his unconscious mind knew she was close. His arm moved and found its place over her waist once again.

He moaned softly in his sleep and pulled her closer to him. Rhiannon's mouth opened in a silent gasp as a wave of pain hit her as he moved her, making her feel dizzy.

Rhiannon wearily blinked her heavy eyelids, her body feeling lax with exhaustion. It wasn't until the sun was beginning to rise hours later that she was finally able to fall back asleep.

Daryl woke to the sunlight in his eyes. He groaned softly and tightened his grip on the woman beside him. He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, placing a slow kiss to her shoulder.

He expected to hear that familiar giggle that never failed to make him smile, but he heard nothing. She didn't even stir at his touch.

He pulled back and sat up, staring down at her in worry. The way her brows were furrowed, even in her sleep, was unnerving to him. He could see how tense she was and he frowned deeply.

 _Probably just a nightmare_ , he thought to himself. He laid back down, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he allowed himself to stay with her in his arms for a few more moments before he absolutely had to get up and face the day.

He wished he could stay with her in bed even after she woke up. He wished they could just have one day off to indulge in each other for hours on end.

He reluctantly left the comfort of the bed and got dressed, placing one last kiss to her forehead before leaving the room. He threw his bow over his shoulder and made his way to the balcony, giving T-Dog a pat on the shoulder as he relieved the tired man from watch.

Uneventful hours passed and he was more than a little surprised that Rhiannon hadn't come out to keep him company like she usually did. Judging by the position of the sun, it was almost noon and Daryl allowed himself to take a break.

He stepped into the living room where most of the group sat.

"You guys seen Rhiannon 'round?" Daryl asked, trying not to seem too clingy. _That_ definitely wouldn't be a good look for him.

"I thought she was out there with you." Carol told him, a frown working its way onto her face.

"I haven't seen her either. Maybe she's still asleep." Rick interjected, though he still looked quite worried.

"That ain't like her." Daryl mumbled, trying to ignore the growing worry that threatened to consume him.

"She has cramps. Maybe that's why she hasn't gotten out of bed." Glenn spoke up with a shrug causing everyone to turn to him with equal looks of confusion.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at him quizzically, her mouth opening and closing as she floundered for words. "Why the hell do you know that?" She asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

Glenn looked up with wide eyes, suddenly realizing that he sounded like quite the creep. "She told me! I ran into her in the middle of the night and she wasn't looking too good so I asked if she was ok." He defended himself. "I swear, nothing weird was going on." He said frantically, turning to Daryl who glared at him, still slightly confused.

Maggie had gone stiff at his words, realizing what might be going on with her sister.

"I should go check on her." She mumbled and scurried off down the hallway.

Daryl didn't feel calm at all as his eyes followed Maggie out of the room. Everyone was confused at her concern.

"That was weird." Glenn mumbled, not understanding what the big deal was and what made his girlfriend look so worried. "Cramps are normal right?" He suddenly asked.

Carol rolled her eyes and let out a long breath. Oh honey," she said, patting Glenn's cheek. "You have so much to learn."

Daryl bit at his thumbnail nervously, his foot tapping incessantly. Carol noticed how tightly wound he was and placed a hand on his shoulder. She frowned as he immediately flinched away from her and kept his eyes cast down to the floor.

"Why don't you go see her. You're gonna drive yourself crazy until you do." She told him, earning a shy glance from him in return.

"Daddy!" Maggie suddenly called out from their room. Daryl's head snapped up and he rushed out of the room to get to Rhiannon, Hershel not far behind him.

"What the hell's goin' on?" He barked as he stormed in, startling the two women.

Rhiannon winced as she sat up in bed, leaning heavily on Maggie's arm that reached out to help her.

"It's happening again." Maggie told her father sadly. Hershel sighed and nodded slowly, a deep frown on his face.

Daryl was thoroughly confused and his tension was escalating by the second. "What the fuck is goin' on?" He breathed out, his voice strained with worry.

Rhiannon hesitated for a few seconds, a conflicted look on her face. "Can you give us a minute?" She asked her sister. Maggie nodded and squeezed her hand comfortingly before standing up from the bed and stepping out of the room with her father.

"Come here." She patted the spot beside her, giving a weak smile to Daryl as he slowly made his way beside her. He sat on the edge of the bed, making sure to leave some space in between them.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at his hesitancy towards her and reached out to grab his hand. "You have to promise not to freak out and get all 'Daryl' about this, ok?"

He sent her a frustrated glare at her words but eventually sighed and nodded as she stared him down. He laid down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Rhiannon took in a deep breath, preparing herself for the freak out she knew was coming. "When I was 14 I was diagnosed with endometriosis."

She was only able to get out that first sentence before Daryl had sprung up from his spot and looked down at her with wide eyes, his face creased with horror.

"What the fuck is that? Is-is it cancer or-"

"Oh my god, Daryl, it's not cancer!" Rhiannon yelled at him. "Just sit down and shut up." Daryl looked ready to argue and stayed unmoving for a couple of seconds before he shook his head and sighed, running a hand over his face, before finally sitting back down beside her.

"It's not a big deal, I swear. It just means that I'm prone to getting ovarian cysts."

Daryl stayed quiet, but Rhiannon could see the fear in his eyes. She squeezed his hand and rubbed her thumb over the rough skin of his palm. "I'm ok, I promise."

"Does it hurt?" He asked quietly, still not really understanding what it was.

"It feels like I'm getting punched in the uterus by the Hulk, but I'm not dying so you can wipe that look off your face."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance at her joking tone. The smirk on her face wasn't helping calm his nerves. "How does this happen?"

"It started with a few wicked periods that would last for weeks. Then I started getting this really horrible pain even when I wasn't on my period, so I knew it wasn't cramps, so I finally went to a doctor." Daryl just nodded in response, but the ashen look on his face had yet to cease. Rhiannon frowned, touched at his concern for her. "It's not all bad, it's how I got out of boarding school, so it was good for something."

Daryl glared at her. "Ain't funny." He growled, settling down beside her to wrap his arms around her again. "How long is this gonna last?"

Rhiannon shrugged. "I dunno. Could just be a bad period, or it could be a cyst. I never know how long those are gonna last. I've had one that lasted six days and then one that lasted three months."

Daryl's chest tightened and he pulled her in closer to him. He didn't know what to say, he was still trying to understand what this meant. His brain kept screaming at him that it was bad, that this was how he was going to lose her. Despite her recurrently reassuring him that it wasn't bad, he couldn't help but worry about her. He knew he was overreacting but he couldn't help it. He could never help it when it came to her being hurt.

"What can I do?" He finally said after a long silence.

Rhiannon smiled softly and rolled over to cuddle into his side. She was always floored by his concern for her. She never would have guessed he'd be this caring and attentive of her needs. He certainly didn't act the type when they first met.

"There's not much anyone can do. I just gotta go through it."

Daryl let out a deep breath and shook his head. "This is crazy." He mumbled.

"Yeah, the joys of being a woman." She mused sarcastically.

There was a knock on their door and Hershel poked his head in. "Everything alright?" He asked, the worry clear in his eyes. He'd seen his daughter go through this before and it deeply hurt him to watch her in pain.

"I'm ok." Rhiannon said quietly, her voice weaker than both of the men had ever heard it.

"I don't suppose you have your pills with you?"

"No, but I can't tell you exactly where they are in my apartment in New York." She joked bitterly. She hadn't really been preparing for a world ending outbreak when she'd packed to come home.

"I'll see if we have any painkillers." Hershel told her with a warm smile before leaving.

Rhiannon began to sit up and move the blankets off her, causing Daryl to move with her. "The hell are you doin'?" He asked, his voice high pitched, conveying just how scared he was by all this.

"I can't stay in this bed all day, I'll go insane."

"No, you need to stay right here. I ain't gonna watch you hurt yourself."

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him. "Daryl, I can't keep staring at these damn walls anymore. You've seen The Shining, right? You know what happens when people get cabin fever, it doesn't end well."

Daryl huffed out a laugh. "I doubt you're gonna go crazy and start takin' us down with an axe."

"Do you really wanna risk it?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and smiled lightly, holding her hand to pull her up. He immediately wrapped his arm around her waist as he helped her out of the room. "Damn stubborn woman." He mumbled with a smirk on his face.

"Your life would be so boring if I wasn't." She teased, leaning her head against his chest as they walked in stride. Daryl just scoffed in response as his stomach did that weird flip it always did whenever they teased each other like this.

As soon as they stepped out into the communal space, every pair of eyes radared onto her. Rhiannon held back a groan and gave them a plastic smile. Carol was the first to rush over to her.

"Maggie just told me, are you ok?"

"About as good as I can be."

Daryl slowly helped her sit back on the couch. "I'll get you some food." He said quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Rhiannon smiled and snaked her hand up to hold his wrist, placing a quick kiss to his skin before letting him go.

"Here, this was all I could find." Hershel kneeled in front of her, holding out some Tylenol for her.

"Thanks." Rhiannon mumbled, dry swallowing the pill. It wouldn't do much, she knew from experience, but with the way she was feeling, anything was better than nothing.

From the kitchen, Daryl watched her as he gnawed at his bottom lip nervously. He'd never seen her like this before. The dark circles under her eyes were clear indications that she'd barely slept. She looked like she was about to pass out, she could barely keep her eyes open. Her face was creased, her brows furrowed with pain. Daryl hated every second of it.

Beth sat next to her big sister and patted her lap, letting Rhiannon lay her head against her legs.

"I shouldn't have played that song last night. I feel like I jinxed it." Beth spoke as she gently ran her fingers through Rhiannon's long blond hair.

Rhiannon snorted. "Yeah it's all your fault this is happening to me."

"Could be Audrey Hepburn's fault." Beth mused with a smile that grew at hearing her sister laugh.

Despite the joke, Beth began to softly sing. The irony wasn't lost on anyone, but Rhiannon wasn't feeling well and that meant Beth had to sing moon river for her. They needed to continue that tradition to keep some sense of normalcy in their lives.

Daryl set her bowl of food on the table in front of her and sat down at the end of the couch, heaving her legs up to rest over his lap.

"So I guess you won't be goin' on the run today." Rick joked, though his smile was terse. It was strange to see Rhiannon like this, it felt wrong to see the strong woman he knew looking so tired and beaten down.

Rhiannon looked up at him and raised a brow, like she was contemplating finding a loophole for her situation.

"You ain't goin'." Daryl spoke up gruffly before she could say anything.

The rest of the group laughed slightly at the way she rolled her eyes at her protective man but eventually relented and laid her head back on Beth's lap.

"Is there anything you need for...this." Rick asked awkwardly. Rhiannon wanted to laugh, she found it hilarious that every man, no matter how strong, was weirded out by the female body.

"Ibuprofen usually helps, it'll be better than what we got now. And if you find a kitkat, I'll love you forever."

"Deal." Rick laughed and strapped his gun into the holster at his waist as he got ready to leave.

Rhiannon waved to Carl who eagerly followed his dad out the door. She was nervous that he was going on the run. She knew he was getting better with a gun, and he was going with his dad which meant he was the safest he's ever going to be, but it felt weird that she was going to watch his back like she usually did.

It felt strange finally being on the sidelines.

"I'll be back soon." Daryl told her as he stood from his spot. He shifted on his feet awkwardly, wishing they were alone so he could give her a proper goodbye. He just nodded at her, making her stifle a laugh as she watched him leave.

She could feel Beth's body shake with laughter. "He's cute."

Rhiannon turned to face her, her eyes narrowed in question. "You tryn'a steal my man?"

Beth laughed, nudging her slightly. "Shut up. I'm just glad you guys made it." Her giggling stopped as she continued. "Back at the farm, it was so obvious that you guys liked each other and I was worried that you two wouldn't go for it. I'm glad it all worked out."

Rhiannon's smile faltered as she blushed fiercely at her words. "Were we really that obvious?"

"Ohhh yeah." Beth teased with a wide smile, causing Rhiannon to blush even harder.

* * *

Daryl swiped the medicine off the shelf harshly as he tried to find what he was looking for, making Rick look over at him cautiously.

"You alright over there?" He asked slowly, immediately regretting opening his mouth as Daryl sent a withering glare his way. "Sorry." He whispered, raising his hands in surrender.

Rick continued to watch the man who was acting like he used to at the quarry. He was practically twitching with anger and worry, he was being erratic just like he used to be.

"You know she's gonna be ok, right?" Rick spoke up again, this time ignoring the perturbed look on Daryl's face. "Hershel said she's gone through this before."

Daryl stayed quiet but his movements were less rough as he filtered through the pill bottles on the shelf. He sighed and moved his gaze down to his feet, refusing to look at Rick who he knew was studying him like the cop he used to be.

"Just don't know what to do." He mumbled, inwardly rolling his eyes. He could only imagine what Merle would say if he knew he was spouting off his emotions like a damn kid. He couldn't find it in himself to care enough though. His worry for Rhiannon won out on every other emotion going through him.

"Yeah, I get it. It ain't easy watching the woman you love in pain."

Daryl felt the air leave his lungs like he'd just been punched in the chest. _The woman you love._ The words ran through his head like an alarm he couldn't turn off.

Rick continued to scan the shelves, oblivious to the man beside him who stood frozen and wide eyed as his mind began to whirl until it made him feel winded and dizzy.

Daryl placed his hand over his heart that slammed against his chest rapidly. Did he love her? He didn't have a clue what it meant to love someone but if he ever found out, it was obvious Rhiannon would be the one to make it happen.

He knew he cared about her, more than anyone he'd ever met. His heart did that strange jumpy thing when they were together, when she looked at him, when she laughed. That was definitely weird to him. He wanted to keep her safe, he wanted her to be happy so he could see her smile.

Daryl furrowed his brows, his face creased in concentration. Does that mean he loves her? He didn't know what love felt like, but he was pretty sure it was what he felt for her.

More importantly to him, did she love him? She'd never told him that before, but judging by what she went through with that asshole Alex, he figured she wasn't ready to make herself vulnerable again by saying it.

A part of Daryl hoped that wasn't the reason. He didn't want her to hold back because she was worried about getting hurt again. He didn't want her to worry about that with him around.

He shook his head, it was getting too complicated to think about. He continued to look for what he needed, now acting almost lethargic in his movements as he couldn't fully concentrate.

"I think I found something." Carl spoke up excitedly. "I found I-ibu-" Carl struggled with the word, his eyes squinting at the bottle he was holding.

"You found ibuprofen?"

"Mhmm." Carl smiled, feeling quite proud at himself for being able to help.

Daryl took large steps to get to him and felt himself relax, only slightly, knowing they might actually be able to help his girl.

"Nice work, kid." Daryl ruffled his hair, leaving Carl with a grin as he finally moving onto the next aisle to get the rest of what they needed.

The rest of the run hadn't taken long at all. Daryl was so eager to get back to the apartment, it was killing him being away from her when he knew she was hurting. Rick and Carl hurried to follow the hunter as he sped walked down the street.

He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the laughs he heard from Rick behind him. He practically tore through the door, making Beth jump and swing around to face him, thinking it was an intruder.

Daryl's eyes scanned the room, his expression falling when he didn't see her.

"She's in your room. We finally convinced her to go back to bed." Beth told him. Daryl nodded and took off down the hall.

He tried to ignore the embarrassment he felt at the obvious concern he showed. He knew it was pretty clear to everyone how much he cared about her and he knew he shouldn't be embarrassed about that, he wanted people to know that he wasn't the same as he was, that he wasn't the same old redneck everyone expected him to be. But he still had trouble getting used to people seeing that side of him.

He opened the door as quietly as possible and immediately, every ounce of worry and fear he had was gone as he saw her curled up in their bed. Daryl smiled endearingly at her and stepped forward, sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled the earphones out, stifling a laugh as he heard the loud music coming from them. He never understood how she could sleep while listening to the blaring sounds of Led Zeppelin.

His fingers gently trailed up her arm causing her to let out a low hum and roll over on her back, slowly opening her eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

Rhiannon shook her head and reached out to grab as hand as he began to stand up. "Where are you going?" She mumbled tiredly, having trouble keeping her heavy eyes open.

"Wanted to let you sleep." He told her softly.

"Stay here."

Daryl laid down beside her and wrapped his arms around her as she moved in closer beside him. "It still hurt?"

Rhiannon nodded silently against his chest. Daryl kissed her forehead and sat up, reaching for the bag he'd placed on the floor. He rifled through it before finally finding the painkillers he was looking for.

"Here." He handed her a pill which she eagerly swallowed. "And, courtesy of Rick." He drawled, handing her the kitkat bar she'd asked for.

Rhiannon smiled widely, eagerly taking the chocolate from him. "You're spoiling me."

"You deserve it." He mumbled shyly, his fingers tangling with hers. Rhiannon bit her lip and curled her finger, motioning for him to come closer. He just raised a teasing eyebrow in response.

"Come down here, I can't sit up." Rhiannon whined, a giggle escaping her as Daryl rolled his eyes playfully, pretending he didn't want to. He leaned over her, Rhiannon wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer, and he kissed her gently.

He pulled away too soon for both of their likings and rested his head on top of hers, holding Rhiannon against him protectively. He listened as her breathing evened out as she fell asleep against him.

Daryl ran his hand through her long hair as she slept. "You're gonna be ok." He mumbled against her hair, pressing his lips to the top of her head. He wasn't sure if those words were meant to comfort her or himself.

 _The woman you love._ Those words rattled in his head again, making him tense slightly. He didn't know what to think about that. He'd never loved anyone before and it caused the usual fears of not knowing if he'd be enough for her to resurface.

Rhiannon shifted in her sleep, her foot kicking his leg as she spread herself out like a starfish the way she always did. Daryl smiled down her, he found it adorable when she did that despite the bruises he'd end up with.

He held her closer to him, a small smile etched on his face. Maybe this whole love thing wasn't as scary as the thought it would be. Maybe he could actually do this.

* * *

 **Yes, an update in less than a week. I am fully neglecting university right now but I don't care.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter. I just love some protective and worried Daryl, it warms my heart. And if I have to suffer with endometriosis then so does Rhiannon, I'm a bitch like that.**

 **Thanks for the reviews! xx**


	32. Chapter 32

Daryl looked out at the stormy night sky and counted down the seconds it would take Rhiannon to find her way outside. He knew she would never miss watching a thunderstorm. Even if it was the middle of the night, she'd sneak out of their bed to watch the lightning streak across the sky. It didn't even matter if she was dead tired, she'd join whoever was on watch just to watch the storm.

She'd told him thunderstorms were her favourite thing in the world and she was glad she still got to admire them despite the world turning to shit.

Despite Daryl not quite understanding the fascination, given it was a lot of people's fears, he loved hearing her talk about how much she loved them. It was amazing to him that something as mundane as lightning could make her feel so at peace. He loved that she could be so passionate about things even with the way the world is.

It only took about a minute until he heard the soft sound of the door behind him sliding open. He turned his head and bit his lip to keep from laughing as she shuffled over to him, wrapped in a blanket that was three times her size, her face the only thing visible through the huge pile of blankets.

"You should be in bed, you need more sleep." He told her, though he knew it was futile. He knew she would give up anything to watch a storm.

"Wasn't sleeping anyways." She shrugged, curling her legs up as she sat next to Daryl, resting her head on his shoulder.

Daryl frowned deeply. He hated how casually she could say that, like it wasn't a big deal. "Is the pain any better?"

She shook her head in response making him sigh and wrap his arm over her shoulders. It had been weeks since her period had ended and it was clear that the pain wasn't just cramps.

Rhiannon hated having to tell Daryl every single morning that nothing had changed. His face would fall and he'd spend the rest of the day feeling useless that he couldn't do anything to make her feel better. He never failed to make sure she was taken care of, though. The way he looked out for her made her swoon.

"'M sorry." He said quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, the only part of her he could see past her blanket cocoon.

"It's not your fault." Rhiannon laughed quietly, sitting up to face him. "I've never had anyone take care of me the way you do." She admitted, making him blush slightly.

Rhiannon linked her arm with his and went back to watching the heavy rainfall and the occasional bolt of lightning. After a few minutes of sitting in a blissful silence, the pain in her abdomen was starting to make her restless. She suddenly reached down to put her hand in Daryl's pocket.

He shifted in his seat, letting out a sound of surprise. _She doesn't really wanna do that now, does she?_ He felt himself get hard as she touched his thigh, so dangerously close to where he desperately wanted it. They hadn't been intimate since this had all started and even if he was dying for some kind of contact, seeing her in pain immediately squashed any lustful thoughts he'd had.

Rhiannon pulled out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and raised a brow as she noticed the anticipatory expression on his face, his blue eyes darkened with lust.

She smirked at the look on his face. "Get your mind outta the gutter, Dixon."

Daryl coughed and shook his head from the thoughts that took over, trying to ignore the arousal he felt that happened every time she smirked at him like that.

He kept his gaze cast down to his shoes as he blushed furiously. He felt bad for even thinking that they could do that when it was clearly the last thing on her mind. He didn't want her thinking that was all he wanted from her.

Rhiannon noticed the uncomfortable look on his face and tilted his chin so he was looking at her.

"Don't do that. Believe me, I want nothing more than to tear off your clothes and have my way with you and soon as this damn cyst is gone you and I are ditching those guys and we're going on a week long sex-cation."

Daryl snorted and placed a hand over his eyes as his shoulders shook with laughter. "You're a lunatic you know that?"

She only nodded in response, a wide smile on her face. Now that they were both on the same page, she reached back into his pocket to pull out his lighter.

Daryl scrunched his nose as he watched her light the cancer stick. "You sure you should be smokin' while you're sick?"

"I feel like my ovaries are about to explode out of my body, just let me a have a damn cigarette." She mused, giving him a look that let him know she was _not_ taking no for an answer. "Sides, if I quit then so do you."

Daryl smirked lightly. "Deal."

Rhiannon nuzzled in closer to him and leaned on him as she finished her cigarette. She closed her eyes, feeling herself getting sleepy as his hand continuously ran through her long hair. It would always amaze her how happy she found herself to be despite the world around her.

Daryl really did change her life for the better. The smile never left her face, even after she drifted off the sleep.

* * *

Rhiannon could hear distant voices that became louder as she broke from her unconscious state. She blinked slowly, suddenly wondering where she was. She remembered waking slightly as Daryl carried her back to their room. She remembered waking up to eat breakfast with everyone before quickly going back to sleep on the couch.

The pain flared, making her grit her teeth. She whimpered slightly, alerting everyone that she was awake. She rolled onto her back and glared up at the ceiling. She could barely get two hours of sleep before waking up. She hated that she was so lethargic all the time and could never do anything but sleep and lay down in agony.

"Hey, you doing ok?" Carol asked, reaching out to place a hand over hers.

Rhiannon just nodded. She knew if she opened her mouth, all her frustrations would spew out in a rant that she was sure no one wanted to hear.

She looked around at the others and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the looks of concern and pity they were giving her.

"What time is it?" She asked, her voice still raspy from sleep.

"Just after noon. You want anything to eat, you didn't take much at breakfast."

Rhiannon shook her head and ignored the frowns that ensued at her response. She sighed and laid her head back, trying desperately not to scream out in frustration. She was going crazy not doing anything. She hadn't even touched her sword in weeks, she felt completely useless.

"I wanna go for a walk." She suddenly said, holding back a wince as she sat up. If they saw how much just doing that hurt, they'd never let her leave the apartment.

"Are you sure?" Maggie asked slowly, her eyes shifting to her father and back to Rhiannon.

"Yeah, I need some fresh air."

Everyone turned to Hershel for an answer. The older man nodded slowly, hesitating to give his consent, but he knew his daughter and he knew things would start to get volatile if she didn't finally get some leeway.

"It might be good for you to stretch your legs." He finally said. He turned to Daryl who was clenching his jaw tightly and gave him an apologetic smile. He knew how much the hunter wanted to protect her, but he also knew how stubborn his daughter was.

It was decided that Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, Rick, and Carl would go out with her. They were supposed to go out on a run later in the day to get more food from the small store just a block away anyway. They only agreed to go if Rhiannon promised to sit and wait while they grabbed everything.

It only took a couple of minutes until Rhiannon was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in angst as she stood by the door, waiting impatiently.

Daryl was by her side in a second, and made sure to hold onto her waist tightly as she slowly maneuvered herself down the stairs.

 _Just smile through the pain,_ she told herself, not wanting to let on how much it hurt to do something so minuscule.

Daryl looked down at her with narrowed eyes, studying every inch of her face for one tiny expression of pain.

"I don't like this." He told her gruffly.

Rhiannon sighed and looked up at him pleadingly. "Daryl, it's just a walk."

He rolled his eyes but stayed quiet, knowing arguing about it wasn't going to help or change her mind at all. A lot could go wrong, he didn't want to think about her being out there while she wasn't at the top of her game. He didn't like her out here even when she was.

As soon as the door opened and she stepped out into the sunlight, she didn't care that her body was screaming at her to take a million painkillers and go back to bed. The pavement was still slightly damp from the storm during the night, but the warm sun was quickly drying it.

"You're acting like you've never seen the sun before, you drama queen." Maggie teased her.

Rhiannon just silently flipped her off as she closed her eyes, letting herself bask in the fresh air.

"Seriously though, are you sure you're ok?" Maggie asked, wrapping her arm around her shoulder.

Rhiannon smiled slightly at her concern and nodded. "I'm ok."

"If it gets bad just tell us and we'll take you back." Rick interjected sternly, giving her a pointed look.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad." She groaned playfully.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Daryl asked her for what felt like the millionth time. Rhiannon resisted the urge to roll her eyes and gave him an impatient glare. She knew he was worried about her, he knew he'd never had to deal with this before and he didn't know how to handle it, but Rhiannon had before, she knew it wasn't as big a deal as he was turning it into.

"I'm fine." She told him and winced at her brazen tone. She sighed and intertwined her hand with Daryl's, making him look up at her in surprise. She just smiled at him in return, hoping he knew she wasn't mad at him. "I'll be fine."

He nodded slowly and dropped the subject, sensing her growing annoyance. He looked down at their hands and his lip quirked up slightly. Daryl felt shy that the others were most likely watching and would probably tease them about it later but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and squeezed her hand in his, reveling in the feel of her touch. He was practically starved for it.

They walked for a couple of minutes, making sure to keep a slow pace so Rhiannon didn't wear herself out too quickly. They made it to the store and Rhiannon sighed in annoyance as everyone gave her similar warning looks, letting her know there was absolutely no way they were letting her go inside with them.

"I guess I'm staying out here." She mumbled.

"We'll be quick." Daryl told her, squeezing her hand one last time before towards the door where the others were waiting.

"I'll stay out here with you." Carl offered, surprising everyone. He was usually throwing a fit if he wasn't allowed to go on a run, now he was voluntary sitting out.

"Thanks, buddy." Rhiannon smiled, flicking his sheriff's hat up.

Rick eyed his son with a smile which faded as he looked over to Rhiannon, giving her a pleading look. She gave him a nod, silently telling him she'd watch him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid like run off without them.

Her breathing hitched as she lowered herself to sit on the curb, her face creasing with pain.

"Are you ok?" Carl asked frantically, sitting himself next to her. Rhiannon looked over at him and she couldn't help but smile at the worry in his eyes.

"I'm ok." She reassured him. "I'm more concerned about you? Why aren't you in there?"

"I wanted to keep you company."

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him. "Carl, what's really going on?"

The young boy sighed and started to fidget with his fingers. "Don't wanna cause any trouble." He said quietly.

"Who said you're causing trouble?"

"No one had to tell me."

Rhiannon closed her mouth, she didn't know what to say. The only other time he'd been like this before was when Lori wouldn't let him go outside.

That suddenly gave her an idea about what was upsetting him. "Do you think it's your fault your parents are fighting?"

Carl avoided her gaze and stayed silent, which gave her an answer without having to say anything.

Rhiannon sighed and nudged her shoulder against his, making him look up at her. "Carl, things are a lot more complicated than you think. There was a lot of shit going on at the farm that has nothing to do with you. None of this is because of you."

Carl stayed silent and stared at his shoes, causing Rhiannon's shoulders to sag in defeat. She knew nothing she could say would make him feel better. Nothing would, unless his parents magically repaired their relationship, which was doubtful.

The two of them sat in silence, neither having anything to say. Rhiannon was content to feel the wind against her skin, the breeze warmer than she'd felt it in months. Even the heavy weight of her weapon strung across her back was comforting, it brought a strange sense of normalcy.

Rhiannon's shoulders tensed, a strange prickling sensation suddenly tickling the back of her neck. She strained her ears, trying to focus on the faint sound she'd heard in the distance. Her head turned down the deserted road, looking for what she'd thought she'd heard.

Her stomach twisted, and not in the usual way it had been for the past few weeks. This was different. Something was wrong, but she didn't know what.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, getting to her feet.

Carl looked up, his eyes wide as he turned in circles, trying to find what had caught her attention. He didn't see anything, he looked just as confused as she did. "What was it?"

"I dunno. Maybe I'm just being paranoid." She mumbled, though she didn't sound too convinced of herself. She hadn't been out in weeks, it made sense that she was a little on edge. Her eyes stayed glued to the road in front of her, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth tightly.

"Are you sure?" Carl asked, looking nervous as he reached for the gun Rick let him carry.

Rhiannon didn't answer right away, she didn't know what to say to him. She wasn't sure, but she didn't want to freak him out either. Before she could give him an answer, the door behind them opened, the rest of them finishing their run.

"Hey," She turned on her heel, giving them a fake smile. "Everything go ok?"

"All good." Maggie smiled, throwing her full bag onto her back.

"You ok?" Daryl said lowly, grabbing her by the arm and turning her so her back faced the rest of them. He noticed almost immediately that something was wrong. Her eyes hadn't lit up when she smiled the way they usually did, there was something else hidden in those brown eyes. Fear. That made him just as scared as whatever the hell had her spooked. "What's goin' on?" He asked gruffly.

Rhiannon sighed in exasperation and shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "I dunno, It's probably nothing. I just thought I heard something."

"Walkers?" Glenn asked from behind her causing Rhiannon to shoot Daryl an annoyed glance. So much for discretion. She turned to face the rest of them slowly, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"No, it was something else, like an engine or something." At seeing the startled look on Maggie's face and the darkened expression on Daryl's face, Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't even know if I _heard_ anything. I'm just being paranoid."

"You really believe that?" Rick asked plainly, giving her a pointed look.

Rhiannon hesitated and averted her eyes from his, but she could still feel his gaze on her. She could feel everyone's gaze on her. She didn't believe it, she rarely ever had those paranoid feelings that turned out to be nothing. Life on the road for the past months had heightened her instincts, had made her more intune with the world and the danger around her.

That was why this was freaking her out so much, there really was something close and it was more likely than not that it wouldn't be friendly, whatever it was, _whoever_ it was.

"No." She said quietly, shifting back and forth on her feet.

"Let's get goin', don't wanna be out in the open like this." Daryl spoke up and before anyone could answer, he was already leading the pack and striding down the sidewalk.

The walk back to the apartments seemed a lot longer than the walk to the store, even despite their quick pace. Rhiannon desperately ignored the burning pain in her abdomen as she tried to keep up with the rest of them. She hadn't moved this fast in a long time.

"Hey, you look really pale. You should stop." Maggie told her, placing a hand on her arm.

Rhiannon shook her head and waved off Daryl who had stopped in his tracks at hearing Maggie's words and was heading towards her. All of them suddenly tensed as the sound of squealing tires sounded from just down the block.

They all froze, their hearts racing in their chests as they heard the distinct sound of car doors slamming.

"Fucking hate being right." Rhiannon whispered under her breath.

Rick ushered them forward quickly, placing his arm around Carl's shoulders as he guided them down the street. They were light on their feet, trying to make as little sound as possible as they heard voices from around the block.

Rhiannon felt herself beginning to sweat, they were way too exposed out here.

She suddenly felt herself getting pushed off to the side. Maggie grabbed onto her tightly and dragged her into the alley, Rick and Carl following closely.

Rhiannon looked across the street where Daryl and Glenn were hiding behind the building. His eyes were locked onto hers, his jaw clenched with anger. It was like the universe had some sort of vendetta against them, always separating them in dire moments, granted, this was more his fault for not being by her side.

Rhiannon squeezed herself into the doorway and held her breath as she heard the unmistakable sound of a boot walking on pavement. They were close.

"You see anything worth taking?"

"Nah, just a lotta junk."

Maggie squeezed Rhiannon's arm tightly, her nails digging into her skin painfully as they saw the shadow of the man from around the corner of the building, just ten feet away from them.

Rhiannon looked up and her eyes found Daryl again. He had his crossbow raised, his furious eyes locked onto the man, ready if he made any move to hurt any of them.

"Thrift store, that might be useful. Why don't you check 'round back, see if there's a door we can use."

Rhiannon spewed curses in her mind. Of course the building they decided to hide beside was the one building they decided to look in. She turned her head and looked at Rick who had placed himself in front of his son protectively, his gun held in his hands tightly.

As the footsteps approached, their bodies locked in anticipation.

"Hey, we got roamers over here!" A distant voice shouted.

"Shit." The man mumbled and the two of them began to make their way back to their group.

Rhiannon sighed in relief, her rigid body relaxing. Her relief was cut short as Maggie let out a shriek and tumbled to the ground, her ankle trapped in a tight grip of the walker that had been hidden under the pile of garbage bags beside them.

The walker was immediately put down as Rhiannon plunged her sword into its head.

"What the fuck was that?" They heard the voice say, followed by quick footsteps that were making their way back towards them.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Rhiannon whispered through clenched teeth.

Maggie was frozen in her spot on the ground, her eyes wide with fear, her chest heaving with panting breaths. Rhiannon grabbed her hand to pull her up, pushing her towards Rick who started ushering them further down the alley.

Daryl was quickly losing his mind and without even thinking about the repercussions, he shot an arrow through the glass of the thrift store they were hiding beside. The unknown man jumped back as the glass shattered and his footsteps faltered.

"Come on." He growled and pulled Glenn along, the both of them running down the alley to the back of the buildings as the man called for the rest of his group.

The separated group ran through the back alleys, stopping at every gap in between buildings to peek around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. Rick held out his arm, stopping them from moving any further.

"We know you're out there!"

Rhiannon winced, the loud voice was too close for comfort. Maggie reached down and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly to reassure her. The sisters shared equal looks of fear, they were both separated from their boyfriends, they knew how the other was feeling.

"Come on, we gotta move fast." Rick whispered once the other group member had wandered away from them.

Rhiannon let out harsh gasps as they practically sprinted back to the apartment. This definitely wasn't good for her condition. She was feeling shitty before, but now she was a fucking wreck. Her steps faltered and she slowed behind them.

"Dad, wait!" Carl yelled, noticing that Rhiannon was hunched over, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"Oh my god." Maggie cried, placing a hand over her mouth as raced back to help her sister.

"I-I'm ok." Rhiannon said weakly, her face creased with pain.

"No you're not." Rick told her sternly and before she could say anything else, he reached for her and scooped her up into his arms. Rhiannon let out a whimper and gripped onto his arm tightly, writhing in pain in his grip.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Gettin' you outta here." He told her simply. Rhiannon looked shell shocked at his actions but stayed quiet as she let Rick carry her bridal style back to safety.

Rhiannon felt close to losing consciousness, the stabbing pain she felt making her feel woozy and weak. Her head dropped back against Rick's shoulder and her heavy eyelids blinked slowly. She could heard her name being called, but the voice sounded distorted, like she was under water.

Rick gently shook her, trying to rouse her back awake. Rhiannon shook her head from her dizziness and tried to focus on the sound of their voices, she tried to use to feeling of the warm breeze on her clammy skin to ground her back into reality.

"What the fuck happened?" Daryl growled, trying to yell too loudly as he and Glenn had finally caught up to them. Rhiannon opened her eyes, and reached out to him, causing Rick to put her down, keeping his hands on her waist to steady her before Daryl took over and picked her up in his arms.

"Too much." She mumbled, her voice weak and small, making Daryl's anger grow exponentially. He had told her this was a bad idea, that she shouldn't be out here.

Thankfully, they were close to the apartment, but they still had to be careful. Rick went first, running across the open street to the building, his head moving side to side to make sure the other group wasn't watching, waiting to shoot them like fish in a barrel.

Rick unlocked the door and held it open as everyone ran towards the door, Daryl scurrying in quick, holding Rhiannon in his arms as she squirmed, hating the notion that she looked like a damsel in distress, while that pretty much what she was at the moment - she doubted she could get up the stairs _without_ help - she hated admitting it.

"I'm fine." Rhiannon repeated, annoyed that no one was listening to her. Daryl finally let her down as they stepped into the apartment.

"Rhiannon, you almost passed out, you're not fine." Maggie told her sternly.

"Passed out?" Hershel stood and made his way to his eldest daughter, noticing her pale complexion and tired, pain filled eyes. Rhiannon was suddenly overwhelmed with a barrage of questions.

"I'm fine!" Rhiannon yelled loudly, finally snapping. She'd been on edge for weeks, slowly getting more and more annoyed with everyone asking her every few seconds if she was ok. She hated being treated like she was completely incapable. It was only a matter of time before she snapped.

"Go lay down." Hershel told her softly as everyone had quieted in shock from her outburst.

Rhiannon sighed and kept her head down as she moved past everyone. She felt Daryl's hands on her as he tried to help her walk to their bedroom, but she shrugged him off roughly. "I can walk." She spoke angrily and didn't look back at him as she walked away.

She sighed in relief as she laid down on the soft bed, closing her eyes. She was in an incredible amount of pain and she felt bad for her outburst, she'd definitely have to apologize to everyone later, especially Daryl. She hated that she spoke to him like that when he was only trying to help, but she had had it with his constant hovering.

She had an ovarian cyst, something she'd been dealing with since she was fourteen. She didn't have cancer, she wasn't dying, and she wasn't incapable of walking.

Sleep didn't come to her, her mind wouldn't shut up enough for her to relax.

She was on edge about the other group in town, she was sure her ovaries were trying to murder her, and she just acted like a bitch to everyone she cares about, it wasn't surprising she couldn't sleep.

She tossed and turned for hours and settled on listening to her ipod to pass the time. The door opened and Daryl stepped in, closing the door behind him. There was a scowl on his face, he looked like he did at the beginning, when he'd first gotten to the farm. It was strange to see him so angry, he hadn't been like this in months.

"Hey." She said quietly, her voice laden with guilt. She audibly winced as she sat up, the covers pooling at her waist.

Daryl's face softened slightly at the noise, but he shook his head and it was gone as quick as it came, his face moving back into a scowl. "What the fuck were you thinkin'?"

Rhiannon was taken aback at his tone and swallowed thickly. "I'm really sorry for being a bitch, I shouldn't have talked to you like that, you didn't deserve that."

"You weren't supposed to be out there in the first place."

Rhiannon opened her mouth but nothing came out, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Wait, are you seriously mad at me cause I wanted to go outside?"

"Those assholes could've taken you, or fuckin' killed you!" Daryl yelled loudly making Rhiannon's temper flare. She didn't want the group hearing this, she would've thought he felt the same but apparently he was too mad to care. "Can't believe I let you go out there." He growled, sounding more like he was reprimanding himself.

"You _let_ me? Are you fucking serious?" Rhiannon said bitterly.

"You were being reckless. Why the fuck would you think it's a good idea goin' out there when you know what happens? It was fuckin' stupid."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she scoffed, leaning back against the headboard and crossing her arms over her chest. "So now I'm stupid, huh?"

Daryl rolled his eyes at her words. "Can you imagine what woulda happened if those assholes got to you?"

"How is my fault that people decided to drive into town that same time we were out there?"

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in deeply as he tried not to let his temper take over. "You shouldn't have been out there. You can't even run, you had to get _Rick_ to fuckin' carry you."

Rhiannon's brows furrowed at the disdain she heard in his voice as his said their leader's name. "You're joking right? Please tell me you're not mad that Rick carried me."

Daryl stayed silent, his jaw clenched tightly. He refused to meet her gaze which only made her anger grow.

"I can't believe this." She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I can't do anything right can I? I can't go outside, I can't have friends, apparently, is there anything I'm allowed to do?"

Daryl sent her a glare. "It ain't like that."

"Oh really? Then what is it? You can't get jealous about every little thing, you don't see me throwing a fit when you talk to Carol."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Cause Carol don't have feelings for me!"

Rhiannon's jaw went slack at his words. "Oh my god." She muttered under her breath and ran her hands through her hair, pulling slightly at the strands. "You think Rick has feelings for me?"

"You two are always on watch together, you're always talkin' and laughin'." Daryl said, his voice quieter now, sounding weak and broken down.

"So that automatically means he likes me? Jesus, Daryl." She sighed, rubbing at her temples. "And even if he did, why would you be mad at me? He's not the one I'm with, he's not the one I'm fucking, _why_ are blaming me?"

Daryl didn't answer her, he just stood still as stone, his face turned down into a deep scowl and his foot tapped against the floor incessantly.

"Fuck, this isn't even...Daryl, this has nothing to do with Rick, ok? I'm pissed off because you don't realize that I'm not a fucking invalid. I can do shit without you, I don't need you to carry me around like I'm fucking useless."

"Didn't realize I was such a fuckin' burden. Guess I'll stop givin' a shit then." He said sharply and stormed out the room, the windows rattling from the force of the door slamming roughly.

The silence in the room rang in her ears, like an spiteful reminder of what had happened. The sight of him turning his back on her and slamming the door closed behind him replayed in her head over and over again.

She let out a shaking breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and felt tears sting her eyes. She buried her face in her hands as she began to cry softly, the stress of the day weighing her down.

She thought over the words that had been yelled. It still pissed her off the way Daryl tried to control her. She didn't want anyone to _let_ her do anything. Alex had been a controlling asshole and she never wanted to go through that again.

Daryl was nothing like Alex, she knew he'd never hurt her the way he did, but she couldn't help but immediately put her defenses up and get angry when someone tried to control her. The huge difference between the two men was that when Daryl was controlling, he was trying to protect her, he actually really cared about her.

That just made her feel worse about yelling at him.

A knock at the door had her sitting up, her eyes hopeful. "Come in."

The door opened slowly and Carol poked her head in, a sad smile on her face. "Hey, just wanted to make sure you're ok."

Rhiannon tried to keep the disappointment off her face at the fact that it wasn't Daryl coming back to her and gave her a weak smile. "You heard everything didn't you?"

Carol hesitated before nodding slightly, a look of pity on her face. "I'm sorry."

"He go out for a hunt?"

"No, he's just taking watch. Rick told us what happened out there, about the other group. He wants us to pack up and leave before it gets dark."

Rhiannon nodded and looked down at the blanket that covered her legs, her fingers pulling at the thread. Carol closed the door behind her and moved forward to sit on the edge of the bed. She reached over and placed her hand over Rhiannon's.

"Honey, stop doing that."

Rhiannon looked up at Carol and shook her head. "It's my fault, I was being a bitch."

"You were mad about something and you told him. Granted, the conversation could've been told without screaming," Carol said with a small laugh. "You told him how you felt, that's not a crime. Couple's fight, it's normal."

Rhiannon sighed heavily. "I just can't believe he was jealous of Rick. I mean, after all this time, how does he not realize how much I care about him. I spent so much time making sure he knew that I was all in, that he was the only one I wanted. I don't know what else I can do to make him see that." She told Carol, looking up at her with teary eyes, her voice cracking slightly.

Carol moved closer and sat beside her, placing an arm over her shoulder and letting Rhiannon rest her head on her shoulder.

"He knows you care about him, but after everything he's been through, can you really blame him for being insecure?"

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut tightly, letting a few tears fall as she let Carol's words sink in. "Oh my god. I can't believe I yelled at him like that." She cried.

Carol hugged her tightly, letting her cry. "It's ok. God knows Daryl regrets some of the times he's yelled at us."

Rhiannon let out a small laugh. Carol smiled lightly and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Honey, this isn't your fault. We all know what Daryl's like, he'll be back soon. This will blow over."

"What if it doesn't? What if he doesn't wanna deal with shit like this? He's been a loner for a long time, what if he realizes that he likes this better alone?" Rhiannon said, her voice just above a whisper.

"Rhiannon, you can't honestly believe that. That man loves you."

Rhiannon felt her throat close up and she almost choked on her breath. Her heart jumped in an erratic rhythm. The crease in her brows suddenly smoothed out and her eyes went wide with realization.

Carol noticed her expression and tried hard not to smile. "Do you love him?"

"Yeah." She breathed out, like she was finally realizing the emotions inside her. "Holy shit."

"Is this not what you want?" Carol asked, confused by her reaction.

"After Alex, the thought of falling in love again scares the shit out of me."

"But you did. You fell in love and you didn't even realize it. It's not that scary, not with him at least."

"Oh my god, I'm in love with Daryl." She said in disbelief.

Carol put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. The look on Rhiannon's face was adorable. "What did you think was gonna happen when you two started getting close on the farm?"

"I don't know! I was naive, I mean I was scared but when I was with him, I just kinda...forgot about it."

"You should tell him."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she let out a amused giggled. "Right, yeah, that definitely won't scare the hell outta him." She said sarcastically.

"Honey, you could wait five years and he'd still freak out, there's no getting past it." Carol laughed. "Besides, he feels the same way about you, you have nothing to worry about."

Rhiannon stayed quiet, mulling over Carol's words. Did Daryl love her? She'd been wondering if he'd ever be capable of that. She knew he was, but she doubted he'd ever be able to come to that conclusion without absolutely freaking out.

Carol noticed the look of doubt on Rhiannon's face and sighed. "I found some things in the bag of stuff they picked up at the store, I'm guessing they're for you." She moved to grab the bag she'd brought in with her and left on the floor.

She rifled through it and pulled out a few kitkat bars, handing them over to Rhiannon. "He knows they're your favorite. Even managed to keep them away from Carl."

Rhiannon let out a light laugh, finding it amusing that a small gesture like getting her her favorite candy could make her so happy and feel so cared for.

"He might not say it outloud, but he definitely shows it. That man _loves_ you." Carol reassured her.

Rhiannon smiled and nodded slightly. She took a deep breath, letting the realization sink in. It was incredible that finally admitting it to herself could give her so much peace.

 _I love Daryl Dixon._

* * *

… **.I'm sorry. But it would be very unrealistic if they didn't fight** _ **sometimes**_

 **I was going to put their talk in this chapter, but it would've been hella long, so I'm making you wait for that make up because I love being evil.**

 **You guys are the best readers ever, I love getting your feedback, you're the reason I'm able to get these chapters out so quickly. You are all amazing! xx**


	33. Chapter 33

Tensions were high as they hurried out to the cars. They wanted to get the hell out of this town before it was too late, they weren't taking their chances with another group.

Rhiannon moved as quick as possible, which, embarrassingly, wasn't very quick at all. Maggie had taken her bag from her and held her hand as they walked out to the cars. Her eyes moved frantically, trying to find the familiar angel winged vest. She hadn't spoken to Daryl since their fight, he'd come into their room to grab his bag and left without saying a word to her.

She hesitated before getting into the car, turning and leaning against the door, looking to see if she could spot him. She perked up when she finally saw him, a small, hopeful smile on her face.

He didn't even look her way as he got into the truck with Rick, his bike strapped into the back. Rhiannon swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to let it show how much that small act had hurt her.

She slowly got into the back and slumped into her seat, ignoring the looks Beth was giving her from her spot beside her.

In the other car, Daryl sat rigidly, his face turned down into a frown as he ignored the way Rick kept looking over at him. Daryl wasn't happy that he was stuck with Rick for who knows how long, but he couldn't be in the same car as her. He couldn't pretend like he wasn't hurt, like everything was fine.

The two men rode in silence. All Daryl was doing was stewing over the words that had been said between him and Rhiannon. He grit his teeth at the memory. He knew it was stupid of him to mention Rick and his stupid insecurities about their friendship, it had all come spilling out before he could even think about it.

"I know this is the last thing you wanna talk about," Rick spoke up, finally breaking the long silence. "But Rhiannon's right, we're just friends."

Daryl inhaled sharply, caught off guard by his words. He kept his eyes glued to the passing scenery out the window, refusing to look at the man he knew was studying him. He didn't know what was worse, the fight or the fact that the rest of them had heard everything.

"You have nothing to worry about, especially with her, she's crazy about you."

Daryl stayed quiet, biting at his thumb. Rick sighed, he knew it wouldn't be easy to get through to the stubborn hunter, despite how much he'd grown in the months they'd been on the road, the months he'd been with Rhiannon.

"I see her the same way I see you, a good friend."

Daryl finally turned his head, his expression of disbelief meeting Rick's. _Friend._ That wasn't a word he heard often. He knew he was out of line when he accused Rhiannon of something he knew she'd never do and hearing Rick deny it too just made him feel worse about it.

This was what he did, he pushed people away. He didn't know how to deal with having people around that cared about him. He was still learning.

"Look, I'm sorry if I ever gave you a reason to doubt that, but it's true, there's no feelings there." Rick told him sincerely.

Daryl sighed and nodded slowly, looking down at his lap. "I know, I was just mad and I saw the way you guys were always laughin' with each other." He shrugged, realizing how childish it sounded when he said it outloud.

"She's like that with everyone."

"I know, It was just...somethin' Lori said, made me see it differently." He muttered. He didn't want to bring this up, he didn't want to blame Rick's wife to make him feel bad, but it was the truth. He had no trouble with their friendship until she'd said something.

Rick stiffened, his hands clenching onto the steering wheel tightly. "What?"

Daryl winced, he really didn't want any part of their marital problems. "I don't wanna start shit like some fucking teenager. She was just jealous of you two, tried to get me on her side."

"And it worked."

Daryl sighed in exasperation and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want it to. He knew Lori was just spouting bullshit because she was angry at Rick, he didn't realize that she'd actually gotten to him. He thought he'd be smarter than that.

"I know it ain't true." Daryl mumbled.

"But you're still pissed." Rick stated simply. It was obvious to notice that Daryl was still angry with the way he continued to glare out the window.

"She don't want my help." He grumbled, hating the fact that Rick had actually gotten him to talk about it.

Rick sighed and gave Daryl a pointed look. "I'm sure she still wants your help and I'm sure she's grateful for everything you've done for her."

"Ain't acting like it."

"Well can you blame her? You'd start throwing punches if people spent _one hour_ catering to you. She's been waited on hand and foot for weeks, and you know Rhiannon, she ain't the kinda girl who can sit around and let people do shit for her." Rick told him, like a father giving advice to his son. He suddenly laughed slightly. "You two are more alike than you think."

Daryl mulled over his words, feeling worse the more he thought about the situation. He hated that Rick was right, that meant he'd been a complete asshole and yelled at his girl like a prick.

"Daryl," Rick promoted but the hunter refused to look up at him. "It was one fight, it's not the end of the world."

Daryl sent him a glare and Rick snapped his mouth shut, realizing the cliche that came out of his mouth couldn't really be useful any more.

"You two'll be fine."

Daryl's fingers tapped against his thigh in a uneven rhythm. For someone who hated showing emotion, he wasn't doing a good job at hiding them. His nerves about the fight were going haywire.

"You really think your relationship would end over one fight? That's adorable." Rick smiled teasingly to which Daryl just scowled again and rolled his eyes.

"Have you told her yet?"

Daryl looked up and sent him a questioning look.

"Have you told her you love her yet?"

Daryl tried to speak but no words came out coherently, causing Rick to hold back a laugh at the strange sound of his sharp intake of breath mixed with the start of different sentences.

"I'll take that as a no."

Daryl rubbed at his head, very much regretting his choice to ride with Rick. That dreaded 'L' word had been rattling around his head for weeks and every time it just about gave him a migraine thinking about it, mostly because she'd never said it and that made him speculate like crazy.

Rick noticed the turmoil on his face, he could tell his mind was running a mile a minute. "Look, all joking aside, there's nothing goin' on with Rhiannon and I. Never have to worry about that kind of shit with her."

"I know." Daryl said quietly.

"And you know that her snapping had nothing to do with you, she woulda yelled at anyone who tried to help her. She's just havin' one of those days."

Daryl just shrugged, still feeling hurt at the way she had brushed him off. Rick decided to let it go, he knew it was unlikely that he'd get through to Daryl. The only one that ever did is Rhiannon.

They drove in silence for the rest of the time, which pleased Daryl. They stopped an hour later, feeling reassured that they'd gone far enough that the group in town wouldn't find them. Taking refuge in a residential area wasn't the safest, they'd rather they be somewhere more secluded, but they're taking what they could get.

Daryl could feel her eyes on him as he stood with Rick, Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog, the five of them getting ready to clear the house. He so badly wanted to go to her, to get this damned fight behind them, but he was still feeling unsettled by the whole thing. He could understand why she was upset, but that didn't change the fact that she had hurt him.

He rolled his eyes inwardly, he hated that he sounded like a schoolgirl that got her feelings hurt.

Rhiannon felt a lump in her throat as Daryl kept his back turned to her, he didn't even give her that shy smile he gave her every time he went off to do a run or a clear a house without her. She cursed under her breath, wishing she could take back this whole day.

The pain from her cyst only made her grit her teeth, this time more in anger than pain. She was so tired of this, it obviously sucked being in pain every second of the day, but it was even worse dealing with it in this kind of world.

She continued to sulk in the backseat as the rest of the group gathered in front of the cars, which she was thankful for, she doubted she'd be good company.

She heard a knock on the window, making her jump slightly. She almost let a groan slip from her lips as saw Lori giving her a sheepish smile.

Rhiannon didn't even bother plastering on a fake smile, it was pointless. She opened the door for the pregnant woman and moved over to the next seat, letting Lori take hers.

"You doing ok?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Rhiannon muttered, clearly conveying just how little she wanted to talk at the moment.

"I need to tell you something." Lori started, realizing small talk wasn't going to get her anywhere. "This is all my fault."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Lori blew out a long breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "I was mad at Rick and I told Daryl about how nervous I was about the friendship you two had."

Rhiannon stiffened and sat up straighter, turning in her seat to face the nervous woman beside her. "So...you told Daryl I was sleeping with Rick?" She asked in disbelief, her voice laced with anger.

"No, no I didn't say that. I just said that I was...suspicious." her voice trailed off and she practically whispered the word in shame, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen. Daryl brushed me off, I thought that meant he didn't believe anything I said. I never wanted my own personal shit to come between you two."

Rhiannon was speechless. She leaned against the car door, her face vacant of emotions. She didn't know what to feel. She was relieved that it was nothing she did that made Daryl doubt her, that she didn't act like a bad girlfriend, but it felt even worse knowing that whole thing could've been avoidable if Lori just kept her mouth shut.

"Rhiannon, I can't tell you how sorry I am, I never should've said anything."

"Never should've thought it either." Rhiannon snapped. "Lori, your life would be a lot easier if you just admitted to yourself that the reason there's tension between you and Rick is _because_ of you and Rick. Don't try and bring the rest of us into it."

Lori winced and nodded slowly. The look on her face made Rhiannon's soften.

"Look, I don't wanna be a bitch, it feels really wrong yelling at a pregnant woman. I just...I don't wanna deal with this high school bullshit. We're adults, we don't need to go around spreading rumours behind each other's backs."

"I know, I can't believe some of things I've done the past few months." Lori said quietly and sighed deeply, putting her face in her hands as a bitter laugh left her lips. "I've been making bad decisions since the beginning of all this."

Rhiannon tensed, realizing she was talking about Shane.

"That's another thing I need to apologize for. He drove a wedge in between us, me and Rick too. I'm sorry for how I acted about that whole situation. It hurt too much to realize what he really was. It makes me worry about this baby."

Rhiannon felt her chest tighten. "What are you talking about?"

"This baby could be Shane's." Lori's voice cracked and a few tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Doesn't mean it'll be a rapist too." Rhiannon said bluntly. She immediately closed her mouth at the uncomfortable look on Lori's face. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"You don't need to apologize to me. Not after everything I've done to you."

Rhiannon nodded slowly. "Thanks for telling me. I mean, I'm still pissed, but it's really big of you to tell me the truth, not many people would do that."

Lori breathed out a sigh of relief and reach over to grab Rhiannon's hand. "Thank you. Is there anything I can do to help? I can talk to Daryl if you want."

"No, no, that's ok. It wouldn't do you any good to get yelled at by an angry redneck." She laughed slightly. "Sides, I have to apologize to him, I said some pretty awful things."

Lori looked over at her curiously, she wanted to ask, but she also didn't want to overstep even more boundaries than she already had.

Rhiannon noticed her expression and sighed. "I told him I didn't need his help anymore, and you probably know how well that went over."

"Can't imagine it went well."

"No, it didn't." Rhiannon muttered, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "I'm just so tired of him treating me like I'm completely useless. I'm sure you know what that feels like."

Lori nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that gets old pretty quick."

The two were left in silence which was a lot less tense than it had been before, something they were both grateful for. Rhiannon pulled out the kitkat bar Daryl had found for her out of the pocket of the too-big hoodie she was wearing. She pulled the wrapper off and broke off a piece, handing it over to Lori.

She immediately refused, but Rhiannon gave her a pointed look, making Lori sigh as she rescinded and took the chocolate from her. "Thanks." She said quietly.

"Gotta keep the pregnant woman happy." Rhiannon smiled at her. Lori smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes, it was just as fake as most of the ones Rhiannon had been giving everyone lately. "Hey, stop beating yourself up about this."

Lori looked up, somewhat embarrassed that Rhiannon had called her out for sulking.

"Seriously, Lori, I don't hate you. I forgive you, as long as you know that what you did was a mistake and that it's not gonna happen again."

"It'll never happen again, it was the stupidest thing I've ever done...well...one of them." Lori shook her head and reached over to grab Rhiannon's hand. "Thank you for forgiving me."

Rhiannon just smiled lightly and squeezed her hand tightly. Despite clearing the air, something that was long overdue between them, Rhiannon still felt like she had a cinder block on her chest. Even though she was happy that she and Lori had finally had a civil conversation, she was sure that nothing would make her feel better until she talked things out with Daryl.

She was just glad that Lori didn't mention Carl, the other reason there was such tension between them due to the fact that Rhiannon was the one to convince Rick to let him go on runs with them. That would've been a whole other long conversation she didn't want to have.

Rhiannon felt her emotions bubble as she ate the candy bar that meant so much to her. She knew it was ridiculous to get so worked up over such a simple gesture, but her hormones were on the fritz and she didn't care that she looked like a crazy person.

She needed to talk to Daryl. The longer she left it, the crazier she got.

Maggie came waltzing out of the house, letting everyone know it was clear, and immediately made her way to Rhiannon, helping her out of the car.

Daryl came down the steps at the same moment she was beginning to make her way up. He stopped in his tracks and the two of them were at a standoff.

Rhiannon's eyes softened at the way he avoided her gaze. He reminded her of the man he was back at the farm, at the beginning when he second guessed every word that came out of his mouth.

A frown painted her face, this wasn't her Daryl, this wasn't the man she was familiar with.

He suddenly side stepped her and stomped off down the street, crossbow in hand. Rhiannon's eyes trailed after him as he got further and further away.

She let out a shaky breath and blinked rapidly, willing the stinging of tears in her eyes to go away. She couldn't act like the helpless victim, _she_ was the one that hurt him.

Somehow that made everything worse, it actually made her, for once, wish to be the helpless victim.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, making her jump slightly. She turned on her heel and immediately relaxed as Rick smiled down warmly at her.

"I told him to go clear his head. He's just goin' for a hunt, he won't be gone long."

Rhiannon scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure he's just dying to get back here."

"Rhi, it's not as bad as you think. You both think this is your fault, just gotta talk it out and you'll be fine."

Rhiannon let Ricks comforting words sink in. She stayed silent and turned her back on him and walked into the house after realizing those words did nothing to make her feel better.

* * *

Daryl wasn't gone long, it was killing him to be away from her. Even if things were tense between them, he at least wanted to be close to her. The last thing he wanted was to make a stupid mistake because he was too emotional.

He walked slowly into the house and ignored the prying eyes of the group that watched him curiously. He rolled his eyes and fought back the urge to snap at them to mind their own damn business. His life and his relationship wasn't a fucking soap opera.

He was making his way to the kitchen to drop off his kills when a familiar tune made him stop in his tracks. He felt his chest tighten and peered into the room slowly. Beth was looking through the cupboards for food, mindlessly humming a tune that always knocked him off his feet whenever he heard it.

"All your life you've never seen a woman, taken by the wind. Would you stay if she promised you heaven, will you ever win." Beth sang under her breath, her foot tapping to the tune in her head.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought about his mother and her obsession with this song, the song his girl was named after. It never failed to make his head spin in such a wonderful way that he never thought it could.

 _One day you'll find your Rhiannon_

His mother's words struck a chord in him. It felt like he was finally seeing colour after living in a gray world for his whole life.

Daryl dropped the squirrels he caught onto the table, startling Beth, making her singing stop. She looked up with wide eyes and gave him a questioning look at the frantic expression on his face.

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs, the door on the left." Beth told him and hardly a second after she'd finished talking, the hunter was storming up the stairs, leaving Beth with a small, relieved smile on her face. It only took a few seconds for her to rush into the other room to tell everyone that the couple would be ok.

Daryl felt his heart beating out of his chest as he stood in front of the closed door. Hearing that song had reminded him just how much she meant to him, how good she was for him. He needed this fight to be over, he needed her in his life more than anything. He needed to fix this.

He took in a deep breath, ignoring all the horrible voices in his head, and opened the door.

He instantly calmed down and had to suppress a smile as he saw her laying on her stomach reading, her limbs spread out like the way she usually slept.

Rhiannon looked up from the book she was reading, expecting to see Carol or her sisters who she knew were worried about her. Her eyes widened and she all but threw her book down when she saw Daryl standing nervously in the doorway, chewing on his lip and shifting on his feet.

"Hey." She said quietly, getting up from the bed she had laid on haphazardly. Daryl just stared at her, his eyes studying her thoroughly, like he was finally realizing a life long question.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out suddenly before he could say anything. "I shouldn't have said what I said. I was being moody and I can be a bitch, that's just who I am, and I doubt that's ever gonna change, so you're just gonna have to deal with that and I totally understand if you can't, so if you want an out...well here it is. I strongly advise you take it or else I'm gonna be bugging you for the rest of your life."

Daryl listened to her rant, his eyes filled with adoration as he watched her freak out. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her small frame, cutting off her long speech.

Rhiannon was more than a little confused as Daryl held onto her tightly. She let herself relax against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes in relief.

Daryl knew she was his girl, he had known that for a long time. But in that moment, it finally hit him just how deep he was in, just how bad he had it for her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered against his chest, her eyes stinging with tears.

"Don't." He told her softly. "I know this is makin' you go crazy, I shouldn't have been so...suffocating"

No, no you weren't." Rhiannon pulled away, her voice rising in pitch as she began to spiral again. "You were looking after me, you shouldn't have to apologize for caring. That's not how I want us to be."

"Hey, darlin' look at me." Daryl placed his hands on her neck and pressed his forehead to hers. "Stop beating yourself up about this."

"I was so rude to you." She practically whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I can't ruin this."

"You didn't." Daryl said, his voice laced with astonishment and his face turned down in disbelief. "Rhi, you're allowed to get angry sometimes."

Rhiannon pulled away slightly, his grip on her not letting her get far, and she stared up at him quizzically. "Why are you being so reasonable? It's not like you."

Daryl scoffed in amusement, finally making her crack a smile. "I know, feel like we're in the twilight zone."

Rhiannon laughed slightly and shook her head, leaning against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are. 'M sorry too, I know there's nothing goin' on with you and Rick, I never shoulda said anythin'."

"Were you really worried about that?" Rhiannon asked hesitantly. Daryl eyes her sternly, realizing the deeper question. _Did I really not treat you good enough to make you believe I'd never do that?_

She knew Lori had put ideas in his head, but she couldn't help but wonder.

"No." He told her firmly. "It was just somethin' Lori-"

"I know, she told me. Just didn't think you'd actually believe it."

Daryl sighed and looked down at his feet in shame. "I don't. I mean, I did before, but...I-" he stammered, trying to find the right words. "It's still pretty surreal to me that you're with me. I guess I just got scared."

Rhiannon's eyes softened and she smiled sadly. "Daryl, you don't ever have to be scared about that. I'm not going anywhere."

Daryl nodded slightly and Rhiannon tightened her grip on him. "Besides, I doubt I'll ever find someone with arms as nice as yours."

Daryl snorted and leaned his head on hers, feeling relieved by her words and loving the fact that she never failed to make him laugh and bring him back down from whatever ledge he'd been on.

"I'm sorry for being an idiot, that's just who I am. I doubt that's ever gonna change, you're just gonna ha-"

"Stop!" Rhiannon slapped his chest, a loud laugh escaping her as Daryl picked her up. He sat on the bed and let her sit on his lap. "You're such an ass." She laughed, burying her face in his shoulder.

Daryl laughed lightly, running his fingers through her hair, making her look up at him. The aura around them turned serious again.

"I never thought I'd have somethin' like this. Wouldn't change a thing about you."

"Guess you really are an idiot." She mused, making him smile and lean his head against her shoulder, his arms crawling from her waist up her back to hold her closer to him.

The two lovers had the same thought in their brains at the exact same moment. Those three words lingered in their minds, caught on the tip of their tongues. For Daryl, he was scared because she'd never said it before. He was never the kind of man to make bold, romantic gestures. He couldn't muster up the courage to just open his mouth and tell her.

For Rhiannon, she was scared of admitting that she had fallen in love again. In her mind, she knew she loved him, but saying it outloud made it real. She hated that Alex lingered in her mind, she hated that he was still affecting her life.

A sharp pain interrupted the moment. Rhiannon breathed in deeply and crawled off of Daryl's lap and leaned against the pillows stacked up against the headboard. A small smile graced her lips at the look of concern on Daryl's face. She found it both cute and sad that he looked so hesitant to help her.

"Don't do that. I don't mind your help, I just don't want you thinking I can't still kill walkers or do what I used to."

"I know you're still a badass, I just worry 'bout you." He told her quietly, his fingers intertwining with hers, his thumb gently brushing against her palm.

"I know. And I'm gonna work on my patience. This shit isn't gonna happen again."

Daryl nodded and looked up at her shyly. Rhiannon felt butterflies in her stomach at the way he looked at her like she was something so precious to him.

"And thank you for the kitkats." She told him with a wide smile that made him blush. He liked doing nice things for her, but he always got flustered whenever she brought it up and praised him for it. He wasn't used to that kind of affection. "You can be pretty romantic when you want to, you know?"

Daryl gave her a pleading look, silently telling her to cut it out before the blush on his cheeks became permanent. He bit his lip in contemplation, his hand moving to his pocket. "I got you somethin' else."

Rhiannon looked at him curiously, her eyes narrowing playfully as she watched him practically sweat with nerves. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and sighed deeply, preparing himself for the inevitable teasing she'd give him.

Daryl held up the necklace he'd found for her and felt himself relax at the touched expression on her face. Rhiannon had no words, she just smiled widely and took the necklace from him, gently tracing her fingers over the little lightning bolt pendant.

"I don't know if this is your thing or not, I've never seen you wear any jewellry, but I just thought you'd like it, cause you know, you're obsessed with storms." Daryl rambled nervously.

"I love it." She told him honestly, shocked at how thoughtful he could be. She knew he was sweet, but he really could knock her off her feet. Daryl motioned for her to turn so he could put it on for her.

She bit her lip, trying not to let her crazy hormones take over. "Thank you." She said quietly, her voice betraying how emotional she felt.

Daryl leaned down and planted his lips on hers softly, feeling quite prideful that he'd made her so happy. Rhiannon wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer, turning the kiss into something more heated than he'd expected as he was practically pulled on top of her.

The couple allowed themselves to indulge in their privacy for hours, before going back downstairs to be with the rest of the group. They still couldn't have sex because Rhiannon could barely move without doubling over in pain, which was grating on the both of them, but spending hours just talking and making out was exactly what they needed after the fight they'd had.

Daryl had been scared out of his mind, thinking his girl didn't want him around anymore, but when he had her wrapped around him, smiling against his lips, he was never more sure of anything.

It only made him more mad at himself that he didn't tell her those three words that hadn't left his mind for weeks.

* * *

 **There was supposed to be so much more going on in this chapter, but I just got so carried away with the dialogue. Next chapter will be steamy for sure ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy reading! xx**


	34. Chapter 34

Rhiannon sighed happily and ran her hand over Daryl's arm that rested over her waist. She was so thankful he'd gotten to sleep in, he'd been taking watch and going on hunts practically everyday. It was rare that she woke up with him next to her.

She leaned against him, her back firmly planted against his chest as she closed her eyes again. She was close to falling back asleep when she suddenly sprung up in excitement. For days she had been going hours without being in any pain and she knew that meant she was near the end of her torture.

She realized she wasn't in any pain, it was the first morning in a long time this had happened. She slowly placed a hand over her abdomen, wondering if she was still dreaming. She pressed down lightly and felt an intense wave of relief wash over her when she realized that didn't make her want to throw up. There was no pain at all.

A wide smile spread on her face as she practically buzzed with happiness. She tore the covers off herself and rolled over to straddle Daryl, shaking him until his eyes snapped open.

"What's goin' on? What's wrong?" He spoke tiredly but still in worry, like he was ready to fight to protect her.

"I think it's gone."

That definitely woke him up. He looked up at her with barely contained happiness. His lips twitched into a smile and his hands moved to hold onto her waist. "Really?" He questioned hopefully, a part of him still wondering if she was faking just to get everyone off her back.

Rhiannon nodded rapidly and stood, her feet on either side of his torso. "I feel fine!" She almost yelled and began to jump on the bed, jostling him as he laughed.

Rhiannon flopped down next to him and grinned widely as he moved on his side to wrap his arm around her again. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and pulled her in closer.

"You really feel good?" Daryl asked, feeling like it was too good to be true.

Rhiannon nodded excitedly. "I feel like I could run a marathon. I mean, I wouldn't, it would be awful, but I _could._ "

Daryl smiled happily, feeling so relieved that it was finally over. He couldn't stand seeing her in pain, he hated that she only slept a couple hours a night, that she lost her appetite. He pretended not to notice that she gave Lori the food she didn't want to eat, he knew if he said something it would lead to an argument.

He leaned over and planted a firm kiss to her lips. Rhiannon smiled against him and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him closer. Daryl felt a fire stir within him, realizing there was nothing holding them back now.

He was about to crawl over her and reach under the covers to take off the sweatpants she was wearing when she suddenly pulled away, giving him a cheeky smile. She placed a quick peck on the tip of his nose and practically jumped out of the bed.

"I gotta tell my sisters." She yelled back happily as she ran out of the room.

Daryl laid on his side, his hand still raised slightly in shock at her sudden exit. He laughed slightly and shook his head as he heard her footsteps race down the stairs. He'd just have to stay frustrated for a little while longer, but he couldn't find it in him to be upset about it. He was so relieved that she was finally ok.

Daryl slowly got out of bed and trudged his way down the stairs. He was happy for Rhiannon but he knew she wouldn't be the only one getting attention. Everyone knew how high strung he was because of how protective he was over her. Daryl knew they'd all make a big deal out of it to the both of them.

Daryl smiled lightly as he saw Rhiannon sitting next to Beth, her arm around her little sister, looking happier than he'd seen her in months.

"That smile looks good on you." Carol nudged him lightly, a knowing smile on her face that only grew at the startled look on his face from getting called out. "Bet you're pretty relieved."

Daryl ignored the immediate reaction to roll his eyes and ignore her for butting into his relationship, but he actually didn't mind it this time. He was relieved, more than he ever had been before. He just nodded slightly, shyly avoiding her eyes.

The celebrating went on for awhile and Rhiannon didn't know what was worse, having everyone fawn over her because she was in pain, or having them fawn over her because she was fine. They both got on her nerves.

"So," She started, interrupting Beth who was still all over her. "Any runs we need to go on?"

Rick laughed at her. "Well, we got most of what we needed yesterday, but I'm sure we can find something for you to do."

"We can go for a hunt. Should be some deer 'round here." Daryl spoke up. Rhiannon looked up hopefully and nodded eagerly. "Might take awhile though, takes longer to track deer." Daryl told her, slightly raising a brow to give her a knowing look.

Rhiannon caught on to what he was trying to discreetly tell her, he wanted time alone with her now that she didn't feel like her insides were collapsing in on itself. She smirked at him slyly, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He knew she wanted it too.

"That ok?" He turned to Hershel nervously, knowing he probably wouldn't be happy about his daughter leaving him.

"Can't say no to some venison." Hershel smiled and placed a hand on Rhiannon's knees that was bouncing with excitement.

Rhiannon let out a breath of relief, happy that her father was so oblivious to how mischievous she really was. He really was clueless when it came to boys.

She could barely stand still as they forced her to eat before they left and packed their bags with some food and water. She got dressed, making sure to put on her black push up bra she knew made her breasts look good. It wasn't exactly the sexiest thing she'd ever worn, but it was all she had now. She couldn't exactly plan a run to a Victoria's Secret.

She placed her sword over shoulder and couldn't help but smile giddily at the feeling. She'd missed using it, she felt absolutely useless without it.

"You look pretty." Maggie spoke from the doorway, making Rhiannon jump in surprise. She turned and gave her a questioning look.

"I do?"

"Tryna impress someone special?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at what she was insinuating and went back to packing her bag. "Yeah, I definitely need to impress Daryl, gotta make sure he doesn't go lookin' for someone else." She drawled sarcastically.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're just wearing a v-neck by coincidence." Maggie teased her, pointing at her cleavage that was on display.

"Maggie, do you know how long it's been since I had sex with him? Just let me have this."

Maggie laughed and walked forward to sit on the bed in front of her. "You do realize Daryl's practically dying for it. I've never seen him so antsy before. You don't need a v-neck to get into his pants, I mean, you're not foolin' anyone with this hunt."

"Shut up, like you and Glenn don't go at it like rabbits." Rhiannon pushed her slightly.

"We're a little more subtle than you two."

Rhiannon laughed loudly. "If that's what you wanna think." Maggie looked over at her curiously and Rhiannon smiled wickedly. "Two nights ago when you guys came back from watch, Glenn's shirt was missing a few buttons."

Maggie's smile fell and she looked up at her sister, her eyes wide with horror.

"Dad didn't notice, you're fine." Rhiannon told her and laughed as she immediately sighed in relief.

The two sisters were left in silence that turned the mood between them more serious. Maggie suddenly reached over and grabbed her arm, stopping Rhiannon's motions.

"I'm so happy you're feeling better. I missed seeing you like this."

Rhiannon smiled lightly and nodded. "Just glad it's over."

Maggie frowned slightly, noticing how forlorn her voice was. "You're worried it's gonna happen again."

Rhiannon shrugged. "You know how many times I've had to deal with this since it started? I know it's gonna happen again."

"Well, at least you know that when it does you'll have all of us to help you. You'd be stupid to think that Daryl wouldn't be there for you when you need him."

Rhiannon thought over her words, a shy smile on her face.

"You should get going. Daryl's gonna lose it soon if he doesn't have you." Maggie teased with a smirk.

Rhiannon elbowed her sister and ignored her laughter as she slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way down the stairs.

Daryl turned at the sound of her footsteps and his eyes widened and immediately locked onto her cleavage that was on display.

"Ready to go?" She asked him with a sickly sweet smile on her face, clearly noticing where his gaze was. He just nodded silently, his face burning with a blush.

Rhiannon hugged her father and her sister's goodbye, even making sure to give Carl a quick hug, which absolutely melted her heart.

"Have fun out there." T-Dog told her, giving her a wink, clearly noticing the tension between her and Daryl.

Rhiannon just narrowed her eyes at him, silently warning him to keep his mouth shut, before quickly turning to say goodbye to someone else before he could see the blush on her face. As she walked out of the house with Daryl she couldn't help but smile widely as she waved back to the others. She had her family with her, which she would never stop being thankful for, but now, it felt like she had this whole extended family with her.

She was never really fond of the idea of a group, not since it hadn't worked out for her during her time alone, but now she wouldn't have it any other way. Those people who used to be strangers were now her family.

"You ok?" Daryl asked her, noticing how unusually quiet she was being.

"I'm better than ok." She smiled and reached over to grab his hand, making him look down shyly. It still caught him off guard every time she did that. It was strange for him to act like a regular boyfriend, he still didn't know how to do that, but he was more than glad that Rhiannon showed him.

"So, where are we going?"

Daryl just looked over at her and closed his mouth, letting her know he wasn't going to tell her.

"A surprise, really?" She laughed. "Are we even gonna look for a deer or are we just gonna go straight to sex?" She suddenly asked, causing Daryl to stumble over his own feet. Rhiannon snickered at the embarrassment on his face, feeling quite prideful. "Such a klutz."

"We're gonna find a deer. Don't wanna make them suspicious." Daryl finally replied, trying desperately to move past her teasing.

"I'm pretty sure they already know why we're really out here."

Daryl sighed deeply, sincerely hoping that wasn't true. He looked over at her and couldn't help but smile lightly at the sight of her. Seeing her so happy after months of being miserable made him feel like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. It was horrible seeing her like that and feeling so useless, he was so relieved it was finally over.

Daryl squeezed her hand in his tighter, moving closer to her so their arms brushed against each others. Rhiannon smiled up at him, knowing what he was feeling.

They walked for a long time but Rhiannon didn't mind at all. Winter had ended while she was going through her endometriosis, and she hadn't gotten to enjoy the warm weather yet. She missed feeling the sun on her skin, she missed feeling the warm breeze. She didn't care how long it took them to get to wherever Daryl was taking her.

The silence between them was comforting, the way it always was. Rhiannon's mind went back to those three words she wanted to tell him but hadn't had the courage to. She knew she loved him, she just didn't want to freak him out, that's why she kept quiet.

She was still paranoid about being forward with him ever since the farm. She knew he'd grown out of that, but she couldn't help but worry.

She had other worries to, lately she couldn't help but wonder about Merle. When she was separated from her sisters at the beginning, she was going crazy, she'd do anything to get back to them. She was worried Daryl would suddenly up and leave to find him.

"Daryl, can I ask you something?" She spoke quietly, contemplating if her question was a good idea or not. He looked over at her curiously and nodded slowly, somewhat worried about what was going on. "How come you haven't looked for Merle?"

"What?" He asked, taken aback by her question.

"It was just something I've been thinking about. You don't really talk about him, but you think he's alive, so why don't you wanna find him?"

Rhiannon immediately regretted opening her mouth as Daryl's expression darkened as he thought more about it. Daryl couldn't help but feel annoyed by her question. He'd told her about his rocky past with his brother and why he didn't like talking about him, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about his brother walking around with one hand, probably still high out of his mind.

But no matter how much they fought, it was still his brother and Daryl couldn't help but feel guilty that he wasn't combing the woods to find him, he wasn't going crazy with worry the way he would with Rhiannon, and he felt like an asshole for it.

Before he could answer, loud growls caught their attention. Daryl immediately tore his crossbow from his back and pointed it at the walker that was stumbling towards him. He fired an arrow into its skull, walking towards it after it had fallen to grab his arrow.

As he knelt next to the dead walker, he heard more growls. He looked up and cursed under his breath as three more walkers shuffled through the trees towards him.

He loaded his crossbow as quick as he could, his head turning back to make sure Rhiannon was ok. His eyes widened and he called out to her, his voice laced with fear as more walkers stumbled towards her.

Hearing his voice so full of panic sprung her into action. She swung on her heels and heaved her weapon with as much strength she could muster, letting out a grunt of exertion as she sliced their heads off. She couldn't even keep track of how many walkers there were, there could've been four or there could've been fifteen for all she knew, her adrenaline wasn't letting her keep track.

She kicked at the dead man's chest, making him fall to to the ground so she could deal with the other one that had its arms reached out to her. She stabbed it under the chin and pulled her sword out swiftly, turning and leaning down to take out the walker that was trying to get up from the ground.

It was quiet except for their panting. Rhiannon looked up and smiled as she saw Daryl already looking at her, his eyes wide. She couldn't decipher his expression, he still looked a little fearful, probably not trusting that they were safe, that there were probably more walkers coming, but there was something else in his gaze too.

There was an intensity in his eyes that made her body tremble and heat up. His eyes darkened with lust in a way she had only ever seen while they were making love. It put a shiver down her spine and smirk worked its way onto her face.

"Liked what you saw?" She teased, snapping him out of his daze.

He shook his head from his dirty thoughts and looked down at his boots in embarrassment. He had been overwhelmed with nerves as all those walkers were coming towards them, but as soon as he'd handled the ones crowding him and went to help Rhiannon, he couldn't help but just watch in awe as she handled herself.

Watching her fight stirred something inside him. He knew she was badass, but actually seeing her in action had floored him.

"Did that really turn you on?" She laughed, finding it amusing but not entirely unrealistic. Seeing him with that crossbow did things to her.

"It's the sword. It's hot." He shrugged shyly.

Rhiannon bit her lip, a large smile growing on her face. She stepped towards Daryl, making him look up at her, his eyes widening in anticipation. She quickly leaned up on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, pulling away before it could get too heated, which caused a groan of impatience to leave his throat.

Despite the fact that she was absolutely dying to finally be with him like that again, they were out in the open and they had just taken down a group of walkers, now wasn't the time.

Daryl placed his crossbow over his shoulder and they started walking again. His mind went back to what she had asked before they'd been ambushed. He was annoyed at first, he didn't like talking about his brother, but he was starting to figure out the answer.

The intense need to protect her and the intense feeling of adoration he had towards her suddenly made him realize why he wasn't running off to find Merle.

"I'm not gonna run off lookin' for Merle 'f that's what you're worried 'bout." He blurted out, making her look up at him in surprise. She'd seen the look on his face when she'd brought it up, she didn't think he'd want to talk about it.

She just nodded in response, though she felt bad, like she was making him think about something he really didn't want to.

"I don't need to go lookin' for him. Got everythin' I need right here." He said quietly, immediately feeling embarrassed by his words. He winced slightly and looked down at the ground as he shifted on his feet nervously.

"That was really cheesy." She said quietly, a small smile growing slowly. "I liked it."

Daryl looked up and the sight of her smiling at him instantly calmed him down and reassured him that he hadn't just completely embarrassed himself.

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, a giddy smile on her face. "Don't look like that, it wasn't as bad as you think it was."

Daryl raised a brow, silently disagreeing with her. She huffed in amusement and nudged him lightly. He smiled softly, stealing a glance at her as they continued to walk through the forest. He had that weird twisting feeling in his stomach again, something that happened daily. It always left him breathless.

"Are we close? I'm beginning to think _you_ don't even know where we're going." She told him, wiping at the sweat on her brow. She was thankful the cold weather was gone, but the heat was starting to be too much now.

"I know where we're goin'." He told her with a smirk. "We're almost there."

Rhiannon just nodded and they kept walking. After a few minutes they got to a dirt road, making Rhiannon narrow her eyes and look up at Daryl in confusion. He grabbed her hand and led her down the dirt path.

Daryl had a small smile on her face, only furthering Rhiannon's confusion and anticipation about what he had planned.

They got past the clearing and the first thing she saw was a small lake, making her lips part in surprise. Behind the small man made lake was a tiny little cottage, it looked like something out of a storybook fairytale.

"How did you find this place?" She breathed out, so touched that he'd done this for her.

"Saw it on the county map in town, there's a whole bunch'a cottages here. We can find another one if you want?" He asked slowly, not being able to tell from the expression on her face if she was happy or not.

"No, no, it's perfect." She said quietly, her face breaking into a wide smile. "You're really nailing this whole boyfriend thing."

Daryl scoffed out a laugh in surprise and shook his head, feeling flustered by her words, which he was getting used to. "Come on, gotta clear it." He said, leading her to the cabin.

"We can be as loud as we want." Rhiannon said dreamily, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Holy shit." Daryl groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to ignore the onslaught of images that ran through his brain. "Damn Vixen." He told her, his lips quirking upwards into a small smile.

Rhiannon's smile never left her face as the two of them cleared out the small cabin. It was a bungalow with only a couple of rooms, so it didn't take long. She began to unpack the food and water bottles they'd brought with them as Daryl began placing blankets over the windows and moving the dresser over the back door.

Rhiannon sighed and sat on the huge king sized bed. She watched as Daryl wiped his arrows of the blood with a cloth he'd found, biting her lip as she watched his arms flex with each movement.

She suddenly kicked off her boots, taking her socks off with them. "You comin' or what?" She called out to him as she trapeized out of the cabin. She stood on the dock by the lake and turned her head, watching eagerly as Daryl followed after her, his eyes immediately landing on hers.

She kept her sultry gaze on him as she began to unbutton her jeans, slowly pushing them down her legs. She could hear Daryl's breath hitch from behind her and smirked as his eyes trailed over her bare legs. She pulled her shirt off her head and before he could say anything, she jumped into the lake.

Daryl walked onto the dock and sat on the edge, watching with wide eyes as she surfaced, pushing her long hair back. Despite the intense arousal he felt watching her practically get naked, he felt something more intense. He felt pure contentment and adoration as he watched her smile as she splashed around happily.

"You coming in?" She called out to him.

Daryl opened his mouth but stopped himself. He wanted to, he wanted nothing more than to be in there with her, to be close to her, but he couldn't risk not being one hundred percent alert out here. He couldn't let his guard down, not with her. He couldn't let anything happen to her.

He was about to protest when something hit him in the face. He frowned and looked down, his eyes widening when he realized it was her bra she'd thrown at him. His lips parted, his jaw hanging open slightly as he looked down at her in surprise.

He stuttered out a response, no coherent words coming to his muddled brain that was overwhelmed with an intense want for her. His chest heaved and his eyes darkened with desire. He began to unbutton his shirt when a rustling behind him startled him out of his dazed arousal.

He spun on his heel and had to bite back a groan as a lone walker ambled down the dirt path in front of them. Daryl cursed the walker under his breath and stomped over to it, his crossbow clenched tightly in his hand.

He swung his bow, hitting the walker across the face with more force than was necessary as he took out his sexual frustration on the dead man. By the time he was finished, Rhiannon was standing on the dock, her shirt back on as she wrung the water out of her hair.

Daryl felt himself sag in disappointment and grit his teeth, sending a glare back to the walker that lay dead at his feet. He looked back at Rhiannon longingly, feeling himself getting aroused again at the sight of her almost naked body.

He stepped towards her purposefully and placed his hands on the back of her neck, pulling her into him so he could smash his lips on hers, kissing her fiercely. They made out frantically, their tongues tangling.

Rhiannon pulled away, her smile breaking the kiss. Daryl leaned his forehead on hers as they both breathed heavily. "Can't wait anymore." He told her gruffly and immediately kissed her again.

Rhiannon moaned against him and tightened her grip on his neck, practically hanging off him. He leaned down and grabbed the back of her thighs, hoisting her up in his arms. She let out a laugh and nuzzled against his neck, placing soft kisses to his skin as he carried her back to the cabin.

The kissed fervently, stumbling through the door. Daryl finally let her down as they walked back inside, slamming the door behind him. He broke the kiss regretfully to lock the door and groaned, leaning against it as she began to make a hickey on his collarbone.

Her hands worked on the buttons of his shirt, almost ripping it off his shoulders. Daryl reached down and grabbed the hem of her t shirt, pulling it over her head. He moaned softly at the sight of bare chest, his hands immediately reaching up to touch them.

Her breathing hitched and her grip on his waist tightened. She bit her lip to stifle a smile as he pulled at her nipple piercing. She leaned up to kiss him again, her hands reaching for his belt. Daryl's hands held the sides of her face, the gentle gesture completely opposite to their frantic kisses and her jerky movements of tugging his jeans down.

Once they were off, they blindly stumbled towards the bed, their lips never ceasing their feverish pace. Rhiannon almost tripped over her boots that she'd left beside the bed but Daryl quickly wound his arms around her waist, holding her tightly to him to make sure she didn't fall.

Rhiannon smirked as she ran a hand down his chest and into his boxers. Daryl tore his lips away from hers and breathed heavily as her hand moved over him. It had been so long since she'd touched him like this. She had tried while she was sick, but he was always worried about hurting her, not to mention he couldn't do anything for her to return the favor. That didn't seem right to him.

He was starved for her touch and his body went rigid as she moved her hand slowly, with long teasing strokes. His breath left him in shaking gasps, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. It was already too much for him to handle.

He growled and reached down, gripping the last shred of clothing she was wearing and tore it at the seam. Rhiannon gaped up at him, a shocked laugh escaping her. She never would've thought she'd find ripping one of her limited pairs of underwear so sexy, but he proved her wrong.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she pushed his boxers down, smiling widely in victory as he kicked them off. She pushed him back onto the bed, biting her lip as she looked down at him with lust filled eyes.

Daryl panted and his body twitched in anticipation as she crawled over him. Rhiannon leaned down and kissed him fiercely, leaving him feeling dizzy. She relished in every groan and hitched breath that left him as her lips trailed down his chest.

His hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair. He pulled at her locks roughly and a choked breath escaped him, his head falling back and his back arching slightly as she took him in her mouth. A loud groan left his lips as she bobbed her head, her tongue swirling around his length.

"Fuck," He groaned loudly, his body tensing. He panted heavily and moaned each time her tongue moved up and down his cock. She always left him a quivering mess when she used her mouth, she was fucking talented.

Too soon, he began to feel that familiar tightening in his abdomen and those pinpricks at the base of his spine. "Darlin' I gotta - fuck, Rhi, you gotta stop." He breathed out desperately, moaning her name as he pulled at her hair.

Rhiannon moved her mouth off him and smirked wickedly as she moved forward to straddle him. She grabbed his cock and moved over him, letting out a loud moan as she sank down on him. Daryl grabbed her waist and growled deeply as she began to roll her hips against his.

Rhiannon didn't bother tightening her walls around him, she knew he wouldn't last long if she teased him, it had been so long and she wanted to make this last.

Daryl panted heavily as he helped her move on him. He screwed his eyes shut at the feeling of finally being inside of her again, but he needed to see her. The sight of her on top of him, her jaw hung open as loud moans escaped her lips, her hand running through her hair, it was too good to miss. He had to watch her, no matter how difficult it was to keep his eyes open.

Daryl was losing his mind as she began to move her hips faster. He bucked his hips up to meet hers making her curse loudly and lean down to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he sat up to cradle her against him tightly.

"Mmm, Daryl." She moaned softly in his ear. He growled lowly and gripped onto her back to keep her steady as he moved them.

Rhiannon let out a gasp as Daryl moved her onto her back, her head almost hanging off the foot of the bed. He pushed both her legs up over his shoulders and began to pound into her rapidly. He leaned on his forearms, his hands moved to her hair to grip onto tightly.

They both cried out as he reached even deeper inside her and the frantic pace he'd set. Rhiannon threw her head back, her eyes screwing shut. Daryl leaned down and placed sloppy kisses against her neck, biting at her skin, making her moan at the slight pain.

She gripped onto his biceps, her nails digging into his sweat slicked skin making him let out a hiss through gritted teeth. She moaned loudly as he hit that special spot inside her, she was so happy they didn't have to be quiet, she hated having to bite her lip to be quiet.

She couldn't help but smile in bliss at the grunts he let out that began to get louder with each thrust. She loved hearing what she could do to him, she loved that she could make such a strong man feel so good.

"Uhh, fuck, Daryl. Harder, please please fuck me harder." She moaned desperately.

Daryl cursed loudly and moved harder against her. He breathed heavily against her neck and pulled at her hair, reveling in the loud moan it earned him from the beauty beneath him. He suddenly sat up so he could move faster, his hands gripping onto her thighs. He turned his head, placing a kiss to the little tattoo she had on the inside of her knee.

Rhiannon writhed underneath him, her hands scratching down his chest making him let out a feral growl.

Her moans rose in pitch and he knew she was close. "Fuck baby, 'm almost there." He groaned.

She nodded and tightened herself around his cock, making him tremble as he tried desperately to hold out until she was finished. Her chest heaved with each panting breath and her body locked, ready for release.

She gripped onto him tightly, leaned up at the same moment he leaned down to kiss her messily. His hands crawled back into her hair and pulled hard, making her whine. She tore her lips from his and her body began to tremble. She whispered his name frantically, before throwing her head back, her back arching. She practically screamed his name as she was thrown over the edge.

Daryl couldn't hold on any longer. The sight of her beneath him and the sounds she made were too much. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a shout of pleasure as he came forcefully inside her. His yells were incoherent, even he didn't know if it was supposed to be her name, or something else - he didn't know.

They held onto each other tightly as he strained into her a few more times, causing them to tremble violently.

"Oh my god." She mumbled, her voice raspy from yelling. She ran her hand through his hair gently making him moan softly against the nape of her neck. Daryl moved his head to look down at her.

The look in his eyes made her shiver slightly. She grabbed onto his neck and placed a soft kiss to his lips, closing her eyes in pure bliss. Daryl pulled away and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, looking at her in awe.

She felt so overwhelmed by the tightening in her chest, it left her feeling dizzy. She was still panting slightly as she looked up at him with admiration. "I love you." She whispered softly.

Daryl's eyes widened and his breathing stuttered, and not because he was still out of breath from the mind blowing sex they just had. His heart began to hammer in his chest again. He was left speechless making Rhiannon's worry grow.

"You don't have to say it back, I just-"

"I do too." Daryl interrupted her. Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise and quirked upwards in a smile. The certainty in his voice absolutely floored her.

"Really?"

Daryl laughed lightly and leaned down to kiss her softly. "Course I do, I'd be stupid not to."

Rhiannon smiled happily as he planted kisses down her jaw and to her neck. They both whined as he slowly pulled himself out of her and laid down beside her. He immediately turned on his side and placed an arm over her waist, pulling her into him.

"You know how I knew?" She spoke up, making him look at her shyly. "I was able to tell you anything. I was never worried that you'd judge me for the stupid things I did, I knew I could say anything."

Daryl smiled lightly. "I know everythin' 'bout you."

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Really? Everything?" She said teasingly.

Daryl raised a brow at her and gave her a smug smile. "I know you're middle name is Aida," Rhiannon groaned and pushed at his chest making him laugh lightly. "I know your favorite movie is Singin' in the Rain cause it's what made you wanna be a dancer. I know you got this dragon tattoo when you were drunk in vegas." He said as his fingers trailed over the ink on her hip.

Rhiannon sent him a playful glare but shivered slightly at his touch.

"I know if I asked you what your favorite song is, you'd give me a list of twenty songs cause you can't choose just one. I know 'bout that time you accidently did acid, you didn't even know you were at a rave." He laughed amusingly.

Rhiannon slapped his chest lightly. "That wasn't my fault, I didn't know they put LSD in the drinks."

Daryl snickered and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, hugging her closely to him. "So, yeah, I know _everything_ about you." He teased her.

"I guess." She grumbled sarcastically. "But I know about you too." Daryl gave her the same disbelieving look she'd given him making her smirk. "I know that your uncle taught you how to use a crossbow when you were a teenager. I know you used to love going to drive ins to watch old scary movies. I know that even though you're so tough and manly, you're the most caring and sweetest man I've ever met in my life."

Daryl's smile faded into a look of intensity as he looked over at her. "And I know that you secretly love Simon and Garfunkel."

"Which you won't be telling anyone." He warned her sternly making her laugh loudly.

"Come on, it's not that embarrassing."

"You laughed when I told you." He reminded her.

Rhiannon giggled and bit her lip. "Just cause it was surprising. I didn't expect that from you."

Daryl's smirk faded as he thought of something he'd been wanting to tell her for months. "You don't know what my favorite song is." He told her quietly.

Rhiannon looked at him questioningly, wondering why he was acting so shy now.

"It's Rhiannon."

She immediately scoffed in disbelief, letting out a laugh. "Yeah, sure."

"It was my mom's favorite song." He said quietly, making her laughter cease. She turned her head to look up at him, her mouth open but no words came out. She had thought he was just making a stupid joke, but the mention of his mom made her realize he was being completely serious. "My dad hurt her a lot and she always said that song would heal her."

Rhiannon was left speechless. She had a strange feeling in her stomach at his words. Her mother would tell her the same thing. Any time she was sick or even scraped her knee, her mom would sing the song she was named after and told her it would make her hurt go away. She was floored by the knowledge that Daryl had been told the same stories as a child.

"She told me I would find my Rhiannon. Guess she was right."

She let out a shaky breath and looked up at him, his shy expression making something inside her flutter. "I'm glad she was." She said quietly, reaching up to place a hand on his cheek.

Daryl smiled softly, glad he had finally gotten that off his chest. Opening up like that wasn't something he enjoyed, but seeing the touched expression on her face was well worth it. He wrapped an arm around her tightly and held her close to him, closing his eyes in contentment.

Rhiannon sighed quietly and let her eyes fall closed too, feeling as if she could fall asleep. They laid in silence, both completely relaxed and at ease. Rhiannon had a small smile on her face, she was so happy she'd finally told him she loved him. Though he hadn't exactly said those three words back, she knew he loved her too.

She was surprised Dayl hadn't gotten all shy and closed off the way she feared he would and she knew this was a huge step for him, she would wait as long as it took to hear those three words. Hearing him say 'I do too' was good enough for her, it still made her stomach twist with butterflies.

She suddenly realized something and started laughing quietly. "Daryl, my bra and jeans are still outside."

"Shit, so's my bow." He laughed gruffly. He moved himself to hover over her and started pressing kisses to her shoulder and across her chest. "We'll get 'em later." He mumbled and started moving down her stomach, wanting nothing more than to hear her moan again.

* * *

 **Season 3 starts next chapter! I'm so pumped!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter xx**


	35. Chapter 35

**I couldn't help myself, there's more smut**

* * *

Daryl looked over at Rhiannon from his place in front of the window, a small smirk growing on his face. She had kicked him in her sleep, waking him up and making him realize they'd been slacking on taking watch.

He'd been up for hours and she was only beginning to slowly wake up. He couldn't ignore the pride he felt that it had been him that had worn her out. She stretched her limbs out and sent him a tired smile.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" She asked, her voice still laced with sleep.

Daryl stood and walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. " _Somebody_ kicked me outta bed."

"I don't kick in my sleep." Rhiannon defended herself, narrowing her eyes at him.

Daryl just scoffed in response, a disbelieving smile on his face. "I got the bruises to prove it, Darlin'."

Rhiannon's face fell and she looked up at him worriedly. "Seriously?"

Daryl noticed her expression and laid down to wrap his arms around her. "Ain't a big deal." He assured her, slightly touched at her concern that she'd hurt him. "You got pretty strong legs for someone so short."

Rhiannon sent him a glare but couldn't hold it up as she began to laugh. She turned on her side and nuzzled against his bare chest, sighing softly.

"How often do I kick you?" She asked after a couple minutes of content silence.

Daryl let out a small chuckled and shook his head. ""Bout every night."

"What? Daryl, why didn't you tell me?" She asked, her voice laced with horror that she'd been hurting him for so long and she had no idea.

Daryl just smiled at her overreaction. "Relax, Darlin'. I've gotten used to it. I kinda like it now."

"You like it when I kick you?" Rhiannon asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. Daryl just shrugged and Rhiannon let out a small laugh. "Never would'a pegged you for a masochist."

Daryl's eyes widened in surprise at her words and pinched her thigh, making her let out a squeal and push him away from her, but his arms around her waist kept her firmly planted to his chest.

"You're unbelievable." He mumbled, smiling softly against her skin.

Rhiannon bit her lip, smiling as she stared up at him as he hovered over her slightly. Her face suddenly turned serious as she was deep in thought.

"Hey, what I said yesterday, I meant it."

Daryl felt his heart jump as he remembered the way her soft, breathy voice had spoken those three words. He looked down at her, the intensity in his eyes making her blush.

"So did I." He told her softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rhiannon could see that he felt so overwhelmed with what they'd revealed to each other. She was just glad he hadn't immediately shaken his head and try to make her change her mind. She was so glad that insecure voice in the back of his head was staying out of the way.

She was the first person, besides his mother, who'd told him they loved him and that made Daryl feel like it was all a dream. Looking down at the woman beside him, who smiled at him so lovingly, made him wonder if he really was dreaming.

But the way she gently ran her fingers up and down his arm, making goosebumps rise on his skin, made him sure that this really was happening.

This seemingly perfect paradise really was his life, and it was so surreal to him.

Rhiannon stretched again, feeling a pleasurable ache between her legs. "I think we broke a record last night." She mumbled.

Daryl smirk proudly and began planting his lips on her neck. "Wanna break a few more?"

His husky voice in her ear made her shiver and bite her lip. They kissed slowly, Rhiannon still in a sleepy daze and both still exhausted from last night.

She pulled away from him lips slightly. "Shouldn't we get back before they start worrying about us?"

"They can wait a few more hours." He mumbled, kissing her fiercely. He ground his hips against hers making her moan softly.

She was still turned on her side slightly and moved her arm back to wrap around his neck and grip his hair at the back of his head. Daryl groaned lowly and hiked her leg up, her flexibility making him go even crazier with need.

Daryl pushed himself inside of her slowly, closing his eyes and hanging his head to lean against her shoulder as a small gasp left his lips. Rhiannon's breathing hitched at the slight ache she felt, he wasn't exactly small, and she was sensitive from the night before.

"You ok?" Daryl asked, his voice strained as he breathed heavily.

Rhiannon nodded and turned her head to kiss him. She didn't want him to stop, even though he had to be a little more delicate with her. Daryl moved slowly and as careful as possible. He held onto her tightly and they moaned in unison at every thrust of his hips.

The couple panted and moaned, clinging to each other desperately. Rhiannon let out a low whine and grinded her hips against his, getting impatient at his agonizingly slow pace.

Daryl kept his pace slow despite her urging for him to move faster. He knew she was still sore and he didn't want to hurt her, so no matter how much it drove him crazy, he was keeping his slow thrusts.

Rhiannon pulled at his hair and smirked slightly at the loud groan that left him, his hips jerking unevenly on instinct.

It didn't take long for both of them to feel that familiar pleasure bubbling inside them. Daryl's breathing turned erratic and he buried his face into her neck to muffle his noises as he placed sloppy kisses to her skin.

Rhiannon's body went rigid in his arms and she trembled, her toes curling as she let out a soft cry, his name leaving her lips in a breathless moan as she was pushed over the edge. Daryl followed seconds later, his teeth gritting tightly and his eyes squeezing shut as he let out a groan of relief and whispered her name frantically.

They stayed wrapped up in each other as the shocks of pleasure faded and they got feeling back in their limbs. Daryl was so amazed how every time with her was mind blowing, she never failed to drive him wild.

Rhiannon sighed loudly, tensing slightly as he pulled out of her and laid on his back, his hand laying on his chest that heaved with each panting breath. She placed a kiss to his neck and cuddled into his side, closing her eyes in sheer exhaustion. Her body wasn't used to that kind of constant release and she was worn out.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Daryl who had his eyes closed as he tried to get his breathing under control. She smirked slightly, guess she wasn't the only one who was worn out.

"You good? Did I hurt you?" He asked her breathlessly, his eyes studying hers in concern.

Rhiannon smiled and shook her head, her heart fluttering wildly. "I'm good."

Daryl sighed in relief and slung his arm over her waist, pulling her in closer so there was no space left in between them. "You're gonna kill me one'a these days." Daryl mumbled against her hair that was splayed out across the pillow.

Rhiannon giggled slightly, a wicked grin on her face. "It'd be the best way to go."

The couple laid together in silence, both enjoying the peacefulness of just being together with no interruptions. It was rare they ever got a moment like this with everyone constantly around.

"Mmm, do we have to go back?" She asked tiredly, fighting the urge to fall back asleep.

Daryl chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You wanna explain to your dad why we didn't come back?"

Rhiannon cringed and immediately sat up, looking for her clothes. "Any idea where my clothes are?"

"I brought 'em in this mornin', they're over there." Daryl told her, nodding his head to the dresser at the other end of the room.

Rhiannon got up out of the bed and had to bite her lip to stop from laughing, she could feel Daryl's burning gaze on her completely bare form. She kept her eyes forward, knowing if she turned back to look at him as he watched her, it'd be hours before they left. She got her backpack and started rifling through it.

"You're lucky I brought more underwear." She told him with a playful glare. Daryl just smirked in response, he hadn't even fully realized that he'd torn her underwear off her, he was so caught up in the moment it completely flew by his mind.

"Don't get into that habit, I only have so many."

"You didn't like it?"

Rhiannon looked up at him in surprise, her eyes widening. Was he really teasing her? His gaze was too heated for her to handle and she had to avert her gaze when he raised a questioning brow. She just grumbled something unintelligible under her breath and started putting her clothes on.

Daryl reluctantly got out of bed and reached for his jeans, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment as he dressed that their time alone was coming to an end.

He had just picked up his shirt from the floor when he felt Rhiannon's arms snake around his waist. He tensed slightly as she gently ran her fingers across one of the thick scars on his back. He relaxed instantly though as he reminded himself that it was only her, that there was nothing but love in her touch.

His lips quirked up into a shy smile as she pressed a kiss to his scars and he placed his hands over hers. "Thank you for bringing me here." She said quietly.

Daryl just nodded wordlessly, feeling shy at her praise. He never knew how to react to it.

Rhiannon wanted to say 'I love you' but she didn't want to pressure him to say it back. Saying 'me too' would be a lame response and she knew Daryl would feel like an ass if he said that, so she kept quiet and let him know how she felt through the press of her lips against the dark secret he held on his back.

She finally pulled away, letting him finish getting dressed and all too soon they were ready to leave their safe haven. Daryl held the door open for her as she stepped outside, making her swoon. It was the little things he did that made her feel like a giddy teenager.

They walked through the forest the way they came, this time not talking and joking around they way they'd been yesterday. Daryl was in full hunter mode as he looked for tracks. It would be really embarrassing if they came back without a deer. She was sure Daryl would die if the others knew what a horny bastard he was.

It didn't take long for Daryl to find tracks and start following. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes, realizing they were pretty close to the house where the group was. "Does it really take longer to track deer?" She asked, already knowing the answer, but she wanted to make him squirm.

Daryl looked back at her with an expression similar to a kid that was caught cheating on a test. "Uhh, sometimes."

"Mhmm," Was her response, making Daryl blush even harder.

"You sayin' you didn't want last night to happen?" He asked with a smirk.

Rhiannon just shrugged in understanding. "I guess you have a point."

Daryl chuckled and they went back to tracking, well, Daryl did, Rhiannon just followed, hoping he was taking her the right way.

He held his hand up, making her stop in her place. He turned and motioned her forward. She slowly crept to stand next to him and looked to where he was pointing. She stared in awe at the sight of the deer in front of them.

She used to see them all the time as a kid, but since she'd moved to New York and only visited on some holidays, she hadn't seen a deer in years. She felt like she was a kid again, taking a walk with Otis and Patricia as they pointed out all the wildlife to her and Maggie, her mom and dad even joining them sometimes.

Rhiannon felt her emotions bubble as she stared at the beautiful animal in front of her. That part of her life seemed so long ago, it was like a dream or a fantasy that hadn't really happened. She missed that time in her life, it was before her mother had died, before she'd gone off the rails.

The look on her face made Daryl lower his bow that had been aimed at the animal. Her eyes were watering with tears which made him move closer to her, his face shrouded with worry.

"What's wrong?" He whispered, so he didn't spook the deer that was only a few feet from them.

"Nothing, I'm fine." She shook her head and sniffled slightly, putting on a brave face to mask her emotions.

Daryl was reluctant to take her words and drop it but he knew now wasn't the time or place to question her. He slowly raised his crossbow again and the second he fired the arrow, Rhiannon was on her feet and turning her back on the scene in front of them.

"Rhiannon?"

She kept her back turned to him and shook her head. "It's nothing... it's stupid." She mumbled and averted her gaze as he stepped in front of her, his hands reaching up to grasp her arms, sensing she wanted to bolt. "I was just thinking about before."

That was all Daryl needed to hear. He just nodded in understanding and brushed a gentle kiss to her forehead before leaving her side to get the deer. Rhiannon sighed in relief at the absence of any questions. She knew he understood what thinking about the past could do and how much it could weigh them down.

She faced the deer bravely, trying not to imagine her good memories dying with that deer, though it did remind her of how her good attitude died as soon as her mother did. It made her even more impatient to get back to her family.

She shook her head as if that would make all the thoughts disappear from her mind and forced herself to move past it, to ignore that part of her brain that reminded her of her past mistakes. She looked to Daryl hopefully, knowing just a couple minutes with him would make her feel better.

Daryl hoisted the deer over his shoulders and Rhiannon slung his crossbow over her shoulder, letting out a heavy breath and a small curse in surprise at how heavy it was. Daryl chuckled at the look on her face.

"How do you carry this thing every day?"

"You get used to it."

"Will I?" She asked with a smirk. "Does that mean you'll teach me how to use it?"

"You ain't gonna drop that are you?" He groaned, trying to figure out a new way to turn her down for the thousandth time. She never gave up though, she was determined to shoot that crossbow at least once.

The couple continued their journey back to their group. Every couple of seconds, Daryl would sneak a glance at her, relieved that her eyes were no longer darkened with sadness and regret and that she'd moved past memory that had plagued her earlier.

Rhiannon could feel his gaze on her and she finally looked over at him. He immediately averted his eyes like a teenager caught staring at his crush and she laughed.

"Stop worrying, I'm fine. It just hits me sometimes, how much I miss the person I was before my mom died." She explained remorsefully.

"You think you ain't that person now?"

Rhiannon's stride faltered and her brows furrowed in deep thought as his words resonated with her. Daryl could see she was hesitant to believe him and he sighed deeply.

"Your Dad and your sisters, they don't hold a grudge against you. You fixed whatever was goin' on between you guys, I'd say that makes you 'bout as good as you can be." He told her sincerely, feeling slightly out of his element that _he_ was giving _her_ advice. It was usually the other way around.

Rhiannon sent him a small smile and nodded, though she knew she wouldn't feel one hundred percent better until she actually spoke to her family. Despite the apologies she'd given them since the outbreak and being on the road - which was the turning point for her to realize the way she'd been distancing herself - she couldn't help but feel like it wouldn't ever be enough.

She'd be apologising to them until the day she died.

They walked in silence the rest of the way and Rhiannon smiled when they stepped out of the thicket of trees and she noticed they were only a few blocks away from the group. Her relief at being close was short lived as Daryl suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowed in focus. Rhiannon was about to ask what was wrong when he looked over at her. "You hear that?"

Rhiannon strained her ears, but all she could hear was the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees and their own breathing. She was about to shake her head when a loud crack of a gunshot made her flinch.

Daryl immediately dropped the deer and grabbed his bow that she held out for him to take. They were so close to the house, they knew it was their group making the noise. Rhiannon pulled her sword out as they ran down the road, her mind running with horrible possibilities.

It didn't take them long to reach the house and when they got there Rhiannon's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the group of walkers that crowded the group. She followed after Daryl who immediately ran straight into the action, eventually favoring his knife when he couldn't load his bow fast enough.

Rhiannon felt her heart in her throat as a scream tore through the air. She turned on her heel and her blood ran cold as she saw Beth surrounded by walkers, with only a small knife to defend herself. Rhiannon sprinted towards her and mowed down the walkers viciously, her rage palpable as they dare tried to hurt her baby sister.

Beth cried loudly and threw herself into her big sister's arms, crushing her in a vice like grip.

"Are you ok?" Rhiannon asked frantically, her voice shaking in fear. Beth continued to cry making her heart beat faster. "Beth, did it touch you?"

She nodded slowly and Rhiannon felt dizzy, her throat closing up and her chest tightening, it was hard to breathe.

"It didn't bite me, just grabbed me." Beth gasped out, noticing the look on her sister's face. "I'm ok."

The relief Rhiannon felt made her want to cry, but she couldn't let herself in that moment, she had to make sure Beth stayed safe. She wrapped her arm over her shoulder, keeping Beth tucked into her safely as she used her other hand to slash at a walker that was going for Carl.

"Come on." She called out to him and opened the door for the two of them to get into the backseat as the rest of them got into the cars in between fighting.

"Rhiannon!"

She turned on her heel at the sound of Daryl's worried voice calling out to her. She spared a look to her father who was getting into the driver's seat and the relief on his face at seeing her safe was what allowed her to move. She ran back to Daryl who was already perched on his bike.

She got on behind him and the second her arms wrapped around his torso to hold on, he was speeding off with the rest of them. Rhiannon breathed deeply, her body trembling slightly with adrenaline. She rested her head against his back and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.

They weren't on the road long, Rick had motioned for them to pull over as they got to a suburban looking cul de sac which made Rhiannon frown. She didn't like being in residential areas, they'd been driven out of every single one they'd come to.

Before Daryl had even turned off his motorcycle, Rhiannon was off and running over to her sisters. Maggie was the first to see her and she let out a shaking breath in relief, hugging her so tightly it left both of them winded.

"I didn't see you, I thought we left without you." Maggie cried softly into her hair. Rhiannon swallowed the lump in her throat and held her tighter. The sisters only finally pulled away from each other when Hershel and Beth strode over to her purposefully.

Beth fell into her arms again and Rhiannon held onto her shaking form protectively, her hands running through her hair.

"You're ok, I got you." Rhiannon assured her. She flinched slightly as she felt a hand placed on her shoulder, but sighed in relief as he father looked down at her with a wide smile. He placed a kiss to the top of her head, his other arm wrapping around both her and Beth.

Rhiannon finally felt her tense body relax and her heart rate slow down to a normal rhythm. She reluctantly pulled away from Beth to hug Carol who looked as shell shocked as she felt. It was never easy facing a herd head on, they were just lucky they hadn't lost anyone.

She eventually found her place beside Daryl who looked tense as he always did everytime they had to move. She placed her hand on his arm that was crossed over his chest and gave him a knowing look, silently telling him to relax.

He sighed and lowered his arms, reaching out for hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Alright, let's get this house cleared and we can get everything back in order." Rick told them sternly.

Daryl immediately stepped towards him, his bow in his hands tightly. Rhiannon watched as T-Dog and Carl followed, but she stayed in her place.

"Rhiannon?" Rick called out to her, raising a brow in question. Usually she was right behind him, ready to help out and he figured she'd be even more eager to go with them since she was finally in the clear health wise.

"I'm gonna stay out here." She told him, her eyes moving back and forth between him and her family that was still huddled together. Rick nodded in understanding and sent her a small smile.

As the small group moved up to the porch, Daryl turned and sent her a small, reassuring nod to which she just smiled and sent him back a wink.

She forced herself not to worry about them as they went inside and instead walked over to sit with Maggie, Glenn and Beth, who was still shaken. As she sat down next to her, Beth immediately rested her head on her shoulder and Rhiannon placed her arm over her shoulder.

"So, how was the _hunt_?" Maggie asked with a sickly sweet smile on her face as she made her sister squirm. "It's funny, I don't see a deer."

"We _had_ a deer. Had to ditch it to save your asses."

Maggie just nodded, but her eyes still held that teasing glint Rhiannon loathed. "Beth, do me a favor, move the collar of her shirt, I'm guessing there's a few hickies there."

Rhiannon sent Maggie a look of disbelief and glared down at Beth who giggled quietly and pulled her collar down slightly.

She suddenly let out a loud laugh. "There is!"

Rhiannon wanted to flip them off for teasing but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad. Her baby sister was smiling and laughing, granted it was at her expense, but that didn't matter. She was just too caught up in relief to allow herself to be annoyed.

"Alright, stop before Glenn passes out." Rhiannon scolded them halfheartedly, thoroughly amused by the blush on Glenn's face.

"Don't be a prude." Maggie told him.

"I'm not, I just really don't wanna think about Daryl like that." Glenn defended himself but it was useless as the girl just laughed at his awkwardness.

Rick stepped out of the house and waved his hand for them to come in, sobering them from their laughter and making them realize now wasn't the time for this.

Rhiannon grabbed their things from the trunk, making sure to get Daryl's bag too. Her face was scrunched in distaste as she walked in the house. The floors were creaky and the walls were chipped and cracked. It looked like a strong breeze could make this place crumble to the ground.

But she wouldn't complain. After what had happened just hours before, she was lucky to be alive and still have everyone she cared about alive too, so she forced the unpleasant look off her face and powered through.

She sat on the floor next to Maggie and looked up at Daryl with a smile as he strolled in picking the feathers from an owl.

"Ain't as good as the deer we left behind, but better than nothing." He said as he perched himself on the table behind her.

Rhiannon sent Maggie a telling look, saying 'I told you so', knowing her sister wasn't convinced about their hunt. She just rolled her eyes and nudged her lightly in response.

They didn't talk, all of them were so exhausted and fed up. They needed to find somewhere they could stay for more than a night. Rhiannon looked over at Lori as she rubbed her very pregnant belly and frowned, she knew this wasn't good for her.

Rhiannon felt something on her head and looked over her shoulder, seeing a pile of feathers falling on her. She scrunched her nose up and nudged Daryl's leg that was beside her. He sent her a smirk as she picked the feathers out of her hair and sent him a withering glare that made him suppress a laugh rather than cower the way her glares made Glenn and T-Dog cower.

As Rhiannon freed her already grimy appearance of the unwanted feathers, Carl came strolling into the room looking quite pleased with himself. As soon as Rhiannon saw what had made him so happy, her mouth turned down into a deep frown, her stomach already twisting in revolt at just the mere thought of eating dog food.

The group wasn't at their best, but they sure as hell hadn't reached that low.

She winced as Rick threw the can across the room and sent Carl a sympathetic look, she knew Rick was stressed and he wasn't exactly doing a good job at keeping it from his son. But she couldn't blame him, he was dealing with more than she could ever handle.

A sharp whistle from T-Dog had them all look up in alert. As he motioned out the window and she got a look at the walkers that roamed in the front yard, she had to stifle a groan.

With more force than was necessary, she grabbed her bags and followed the rest out of the house. This had to be a record, she thought to herself. Barely two minutes and they were already run out.

She threw her things in the trunk and sent an assuring nod to Maggie as she made her way to where Daryl was waiting for her by his bike. For the second time that day, she sat behind him and wrapped her arms around him as they fled.

"We'll find a place." He told her over the roar of the bike, noticing the annoyance on her face. He squeezed her hands that linked over his stomach, giving her the only reassurance he could give her. He didn't want to start making false promises he couldn't keep, but he had hope that they would find a place.

The group was strong and he knew they'd be ok no matter what they found.

* * *

Rhiannon was bored out of her mind on the back of Daryl's bike. She liked being close to him but she was longing to be behind the wheel listening to music. She let out a loud sigh as they finally stopped and she got off, immediately stretching her sore legs.

"My ass is killing me." She mumbled.

"Want a massage?" Daryl asked, his eyes glimmering with a mischief she hardly ever saw.

She gaped at him and let out a disbelieving laugh. "What's with you today, that's like the third time you've teased me."

"Tables turned." He shrugged and leaned down to give her a quick kiss and before she could respond or even kiss him back, he pulled away and was walking to meet up with the group in front of the convoy of cars.

Rhiannon watched him walk away with a flustered smile. It wasn't like him to be this upbeat after a day of losses and she had a feeling he was just doing this because he knew she was in such a foul mood. Usually she was the one to make him feel better after a day like they'd had, but she could only stay positive for so long.

She was touched that he had taken it in himself to put aside whatever anger she knew he had over the situation to make her feel better.

She made her way to the others but had tuned out their conversation, she couldn't listen as they listed all the places they'd been and failed to make a home. She could tell everyone was on edge and she hoped they found a place before things got more tense and people started taking it out on each other. She was actually surprised that hadn't happened yet.

Rhiannon turned and leaned her back against the hood of the car. She stared out at the forest in front of her intensely, as if willing the trees to part and reveal a perfect sanctuary for them. Her eyes scanned side to side, realizing she had to at least do something and this was her way of taking watch.

She frowned slightly as she saw Lori who had stayed in the car, isolating herself from the group, something she'd been doing a lot lately, Rhiannon had noticed. Things were still a little rocky between them but were definitely better than they'd been at the start of the winter. Rhiannon desperately wanted to make amends so there wasn't any awkwardness. She felt bad for the woman and she knew she could use another friend, Carol could only do so much.

"Rhi," She turned and looked at Daryl who had called out to her. "Goin' hunting, wanna come?"

She hesitated, her gaze turning back to Lori. "No, I'll stay and keep watch."

"You sure?" Daryl narrowed his eyes at her quizzically. She nodded, keeping her face blank of emotions so he wouldn't think anything was wrong with her and pry. "Alright." He said slowly.

She didn't want to say she was going to talk to Lori, she didn't want to bring that up in front of Rick. Any mention of her put him on edge instantly and that was the last thing she wanted. She sent him a feeble wave as he hesitantly left with Rick, sending her one last look over his shoulder as they walked away.

Once the two men were out of sight she grabbed a bottle of water and headed to where Lori sat. She approached hesitantly, suddenly realizing she had no idea what to say to the woman.

"Hey, got you some water."

Lori looked over at her, slightly confused by her presence, it had been a long time since Rhiannon had willingly approached her. Even when she gave Lori her portion of food she didn't want when she was going through her endometriosis, she always did it slyly, hardly sharing a few words.

"Thanks." She said quietly, taking a well needed sip.

"How you holding up?"

Lori just shrugged, not knowing how to answer.

"You should come down to the stream, it'd be good to take a little walk, talk to everyone." She propositioned and immediately cringed at the tone in her voice. She sounded like Mary Poppins and it was complete bullshit.

Lori looked up at her lamely, seeing right through her words. "Look, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate you doing it, but I just can't right now. I can't be around everyone, I can't see the looks on their faces."

"What looks?"

"They all can't stand me. I'm a terrible mother, terrible wife, and a terrible friend."

"What? Lori, no one hates you."

The pregnant woman let out a bitter laugh and sent Rhiannon a look as if to say 'are you kidding me?' "Did you forget about Rick?"

"Rick doesn't hate you. Sure he's mad, but you guys were married for a long time, those feelings don't just go away." She paused and her face turned grim as she thought over her words. "Right?"

Lori laughed at the look on her face. "It doesn't for some couples. Like you and Daryl, you two are strong, that'll never happen. But me and Rick? I think it already has."

"Well you should still talk to him and try to work things out. If not for you, then for Carl."

Lori's face fell at the mention of her son and tears came to her eyes as she thought about the way he acted towards her. It broke her heart. "I never thanked you for everything you've done for him." She told Rhiannon with a broken voice.

Rhiannon furrowed her brows, she'd been the one to convince Rick to let him start going on runs which had caused hundred of fights between the married couple. Surely Lori wasn't thanking her for that?

"I get it now, he needed to learn. And you've saved his life so many times I lost count. He really looks up to you, so thank you."

Rhiannon felt overwhelmed by her gratitude. She really underestimated how this conversation was going to turn out. "You don't have to thank me for that. You raised him well."

Lori sent her a tearful smile. Rhiannon sensed she needed to be alone and gave her a quick hug, which Lori gratefully accepted, and walked away, giving her the space she needed.

"Everything ok with you two?" Carol asked nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between the two women.

"We're fine. Probably the best we've ever been."

"How is she?"

Rhiannon sighed, her hesitation to answer pretty much already giving Carol an answer. "She thinks everyone hates her."

Carol let out a deep breath and shook her head. "This isn't good for her. I'm worried about when the baby comes. If she's already like this, the chances of postpartum are higher."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked back at Lori in worry. "Once we get a place and get her off her feet we can get stuff for the baby. Maybe that'll snap her outta this."

Carol looked over at the younger woman with a barely contained grin. Rhiannon looked over at her and gave her a questioning look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I missed you." Carol told her simply.

Rhiannon laughed. "I was gone for one night."

"No, not like that. I missed seeing you like this, taking charge, you're in your element."

Rhiannon shook her head, feeling embarrassed the way a child would when their mother compliments them. Carol noticed how bashful she became and smiled widely, placing an arm over her shoulder.

"I'm glad to have you back."

Rhiannon just nodded, a small smile on her face. Carol knew she better change the subject if she didn't want the young woman to flee in a flustered huff. She was more like Daryl than she thought, they both got so shy whenever someone complimented them.

"So, you and Daryl have fun on your hunt?" Carol smiled innocently, feeling joyous at the wide eyed look she got in response. She laughed and pulled Rhiannon into a side hug. "Relax, no ones judging you. You both deserve it."

"Oh my god, can we not talk about this?" Rhiannon mumbled, placing her hands over her blushing face.

"Are you two being safe?"

Rhiannon wanted to die on the spot as Carol teased her. She sent the woman a playful glare. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"Mhmm." Carol admitted with a smile. "There's nothing else to entertain me out here."

Thankfully, before Carol could embarrass her even more, Rick and Daryl had come back. The leader had a smile on his face she hadn't seen in a long time.

"That was quick."

"We found a place."

Rhiannon looked to Daryl hopefully, he nodded, his face void of any fear or worry. "Is it another house?" She asked hesitantly, if it was she didn't know how to tell him that it was a bad idea, they didn't seem to be working out for them.

Rick shook his head, a barely contained smile on his face. "A prison."

Rhiannon let out a small laugh, thinking he was making a stupid joke, but the looks on both their faces made he stop. "Huh?" She asked in confusion.

"We're really gonna stay in a prison?" Carol asked, sounding less than enthused than Rick did.

"It's got fences, we just gotta clear it out." Daryl explained.

"Alright." Rhiannon said, though she still didn't sound as excited as the men did. "I'll go get the others."

Rhiannon headed down the slope off the side of the road to the stream that was a few yards away. "You guys almost done?"

"Yeah, we're coming." Glenn called out.

"Well, hurry up. We're going to prison."

* * *

 **An update before the week is up because I love all you readers so much! The feedback on this story had been overwhelming, I can't believe we're over 200 reviews, that blows my mind.**

 **You guys are the reason I'm able to get these chapters out so quick so thank you so much for your support, I'm so grateful!**

 **I'm so excited for what's to come. I can't wait for Rhiannon to see Merle again and to meet Michonne. I can't wait for that team up. And of course the creepy Governor. Ugh I can't wait!**

 **Thanks for reading xx**


	36. Chapter 36

Rhiannon stared at the building in front of her with trepidation. She never thought she'd want to ever step foot in a place like that, but in the new world, it seemed like their best option. She was just worried about what lay inside waiting for them. She had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Stay close." Daryl told her sternly, grasping her by the arm and pulling her into his side as they waited for Rick to cut through the fencing.

He noticed the nervous expression on her face and was itching to comfort her, to reassure her that everything was going to be ok, but even he didn't know if that was true. He was just as unsettled about what they'd be facing in there as she was.

As soon as they had an opening, Daryl pushed Rhiannon forward who pushed Beth forward. Her baby sister had barely gone five feet from her since her close call and Rhiannon was more than willing to keep her close.

She held the fencing open as Beth crawled through and followed, knowing Daryl would lose his temper soon enough if she let everyone go before her. As soon as she stepped through, her eyes were glued to the yard in front of her. She cringed at the sight of the infested space as the walkers migrated towards them, pusing at the fence that separated them.

"If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight." Rick told the group confidently.

Rhiannon had to push her nerves away. It was a risk, but if it worked, it could change everything for them. They could finally have a chance at building a normal life, well, as normal as this life allowed them to be.

"How do we shut the gate?"

"We can do it." Glenn spoke up, looking over at Rhiannon hopefully. She smiled lightly and nodded. The two of them had become quite the duo since the incident at the bar and again when they lost the storage units. They always had each other's backs on runs.

"No." Daryl said sternly at the same moment Maggie refused, causing both Rhiannon and Glenn to sigh in annoyance at their significant others.

"We're the fastest."

"No, you two go with Maggie and Beth, you draw as many as you can over there. Pick 'em off through the fence." Rick ordered making Rhiannon bite her lip to keep from speaking up in disdain.

She listened thoughtfully as Rick gave out orders for everyone and they went to their positions. Daryl gave her a fleeting look and a soft graze of his hand against her arm as he moved past her with Carol to the guard tower.

Glenn, Maggie and Beth started walking to where Rick wanted them but Rhiannon grabbed Beth by the arm, stopping her. "Here, take this." She reached down and took out the knife she kept in her boot, handing it out for Beth.

"What about you?" Beth asked with confusion and slight worry.

"I got another plan." Rhiannon said with a sly smile and pressed a quick peck to her forehead. "Go kick ass."

Beth sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's gonna be pissed!" She yelled as she walked away.

Rhiannon wasn't deterred by the thought of Daryl's inevitable fit of rage at her actions, she just knew she wasn't going to let Rick do it alone.

"Hey," She called out to him and jogged over to where stood by the gate. "I'm going with you."

"What? No, I told you-"

"I know what you told me, but I wanna help you instead. We'll use less ammo this way."

Rick looked at her sternly as he thought over her proposition. Rhiannon could see the look on his face and she knew he wasn't convinced.

"Rick, I'm not letting you do this alone. You wouldn't let any of us. Just let me help you."

His face softened and he finally sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But I'm not takin' the blame for this. When Daryl starts yelling, I'm throwing you under the bus."

Rhiannon laughed. "That's fair."

"Goddamn stubborn, you know that?"

"Yes, you people tell me that every day." She mused and pulled her sword from its sheath. She sent a reassuring smile to Lori who was ready to open the gate for them. It was comforting to see the look she and Rick shared.

"Good luck." She told them and opened the gate.

The two of them stepped into the yard, Rick putting himself in front of Rhiannon. "You stay close and keep your head up." He whispered making Rhiannon roll her eyes and stare back at him impatiently.

"Yeah, it's not like I've ever killed any walkers before." She said sarcastically and Rick sent her a soft glare making her smile innocently and nod her head forward. "We going, or what?"

Up in the guard tower, Daryl aimed his crossbow at the field below him. He perked up when he saw Rick and shot a walker that ambled towards him. He almost dropped his bow right off the edge of the tower when he noticed the short blonde that trailed behind him.

"You better be fuckin' joking." He growled and immediately turned on his heel to leave the tower and go in there himself to drag her out of there.

"Daryl, this is the best way to keep her safe, make sure nothing gets close." Carol reminded him, though her own grip on her gun had gotten significantly tighter when she saw Rhiannon.

He sighed angrily and stomped back to the edge aiming his weapon again. "That girl has some nerve." He mumbled as he shot a walker that was a few feet from her.

Rhiannon was ready to swing her sword at a walker but it suddenly fell with an arrow between its eyes. She stopped and looked up, a sheepish smile on her face. Even from where she stood she could see the scowl on his face.

She turned her attention back to Rick as a walker came from beside him, just inches from grabbing his arm. Her sword lodged its way into the brain, making it fall. Rick, who'd been focusing on another walker on his other side turned quickly and looked down at the walker in shock, he hadn't even heard it coming.

"Aren't you happy I'm here?" Rhiannon snarked and ran forward, making him curse under his breath and jog to catch up with her.

Rhiannon skidded to a stop as a bullet landed just inches from her feet. Rick crashed into her back and he quickly held onto her waist to keep from knocking her to the ground.

"Sorry!" Carol called out from above. She winced and turned to face Daryl sheepishly. He glared back at her, his face almost red from holding in everything he wanted to yell in that moment.

"You tryin'a stop my fuckin' heart?" Daryl barked at her and placed a hand over his chest that pounded with each frantic heartbeat.

Carol bit her lip to quell her growing smile and turned her attention back to shooting. It always amazed her how much love Daryl had for Rhiannon. Back at the farm she had wondered how he'd be with her and he definitely didn't disappoint.

Carol had no shame that many late nights were spent gossiping with Lori, Beth and Maggie about how adorable the hunter was. And despite him yelling at her, his fierce protectiveness and need to keep Rhiannon safe was so touching to see.

Daryl growled under his breath, feeling his temper reach a high as he watched her dodge the arms that reached for her. He really shouldn't have been surprised by what she was doing, it was a typical Rhiannon move, but he was still floored by her nerve. She loved to test his patience.

Rhiannon panted with effort as she ran while swinging her weapon at every walker that got close, that is if Daryl didn't take it down first. She watched Rick's back as he closed the gate and kept her place as he moved to the guard tower.

"Rhi, come on!" He yelled to her. She took down one more walker before following him into the tower, making sure to slam the door shut behind her.

She couldn't help but beam happily as they made it to the top. Rick handed her the extra rifle he'd strapped over his shoulder and brought out his own gun.

The two of them shared smiles as they cleared out the field, each dropping body taking away another ounce of stress off her shoulders.

"We did it." Rick said happily and looked over at her with a playfully smug grin.

"Yeah, we did." She mused softly. Despite the win, she couldn't help but move her gaze to the courtyard that was still littered with bodies.

Rick noticed the apprehension on her face and frowned. As soon as the last body dropped and they noticed the others leave the guard towers, he stopped her before leaving.

"Hey, this is gonna work for us. We're gonna be fine." He told her softly.

Rhiannon nodded slowly and looked down at her feet, feeling slightly embarrassed that Rick had caught her doubt and insecurity.

"With you out there, those walkers don't stand a chance." Rick joked, placing an arm around her shoulders. Rhiannon laughed lightly and they made their way down the stairs of the tower to meet with the others.

As soon as they left the guard tower, Carl was running towards them, a wide smile on his face.

"That was so cool! You were like a superhero!" He yelled to Rhiannon, his small arms winding around her waist in a tight hug.

A wave of pride washed over her at the excitement on Carl's face.

"What about me?" Rick asked, feigning sadness as he teased his son. Carl's smile fell slightly and he looked at his father guiltily.

"You don't have a sword." Rhiannon told him with a smirk, making him nudge her lightly

Her smile fell as she saw Daryl stomping towards her, his face drawn into a scowl. He raised a questioning brow, silently asking for an explanation.

She sighed and reached for his hand, pulling his arm down from where it was crossed over his chest.

"I wasn't gonna let him do it alone."

"You could at least tell me these things. Think you like makin' me go crazy." He growled, though she could tell he wasn't really upset, just stressed.

"I know, I just knew you'd try and stop me."

"Damn right." He mumbled and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead after looking around to make sure no one was looking at them.

Rhiannon smiled up at him endearingly, happy that he hadn't flown off the handle at her actions. He was slowly getting used to her being in the middle of the action. She knew he still hated it when she was on the front lines but he was getting control of his temper and they very rarely had fights about her involvement anymore.

Daryl linked his pinkie with hers as they walked to where everyone was setting down their things. "So, what do you think'a this place?" He asked her, his eyes casting over to the courtyard that was crawling with walkers.

"Think it'd be good for us. Just a matter of clearing it out."

"You worried 'bout that?" He asked slowly, noticing the tone of her voice.

"Aren't you? We don't know what's in there. The place could be filled with them."

Daryl frowned slightly, he hardly ever saw her like this. She was usually the one reassuring him when he had doubt. She always had this confidence that guided her in every situation, it was what he admired about her so much since the first day he met her. It wasn't like her to be the one with doubts.

He stopped their stride and stood in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. They slowly made their way down her arms to grip her hands in his tightly.

"''M not gonna let anythin' happen to you." He whispered, his eyes looking into hers intensely.

Rhiannon bit her lip, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. "I know."

Daryl leaned down, his eyes holding that special brightness only she got to see. He was about to press his lips to hers when the sound of laughter broke his attention and he jumped back from her. He turned and sighed in relief when he realized it was only Maggie laughing at something T-Dog had said and it wasn't because they'd been caught in their moment.

Rhiannon had to hold back a laugh at the shy expression on his face. He never liked showing any kind of affection in front of the others, though that didn't stop him from trying to be sneaky.

Daryl turned back to face her, his cheeks blazing pink. "Gonna go for a hunt." He told her quietly. "Stay here, you've done enough today. Might just drop dead if anythin' else happens to you."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "You're such a drama queen."

Daryl sent her a playful glare that broke into a smirk. He squeezed her hand one last time in goodbye and walked away, her eyes on his back the whole time. She sighed happily, feeling so touched that he could make her forget about being nervous for that short time. It meant the world to her that he could do that for her.

She made her way to the group and sat down beside her father. He sent her a smile and placed his hand over hers. Beth sat on her other side and held out her knife to give back.

"Keep it." Rhiannon said with a smile. Seeing her baby sister in danger earlier that day had stricken a fear inside her she didn't know she could have. She wanted Beth to be able to look after herself because she knew she wasn't always going to be there to protect her.

Beth nodded slowly, her eyes looking down at the blade in wonder. For so long she wanted to prove herself, to learn how to fight and be more like her big sister. She sent Rhiannon a wide smile, she was finally getting her wish.

Hershel watched his daughters happily. He knew how much Beth looked up to Rhiannon and for most of her life, their relationship was mostly one sided, it was Beth calling her sister any time she could and most of the time getting her voicemail. It made him proud that his eldest daughter had grown up so much since the outbreak had started.

"You did good today, babygirl." Hershel told her, his fatherly pride showing, making her feel slightly shy. "Is he ok?" He asked her, his head turning to look at Daryl as he disappeared into the woods.

"Yeah, he's fine, he's not mad."

Hershel looked at his daughter in surprise. He was sure the hunter would be fuming over what she'd done. Even he was mad at first, but seeing the way she handled herself and helped Rick had calmed him down.

"Guess he's learned trying to stop you is always a failed effort." Hershel said with a smile. Rhiannon laughed lightly and sent her father a pleading look. He found it adorable how shy she always got from his praise. "You're getting more like your mother everyday."

Rhiannon's smile faded and she looked up in awe, her eyes swimming with emotion he hadn't seen from her in a long time.

"She'd be proud of you." Hershel said quietly, wrapping his arm over her shoulder to pull her into a hug.

A small smile graced her features and she felt a warmth in her chest that had been missing since her mother had died. She hadn't allowed herself to think of her mother often, it hurt too much. But she was slowly and surely coming to terms with it. Carol definitely helped, she was filling a gap she missed since she was a kid. Daryl helped everyday, she didn't even think he knew how much.

But getting that kind of comfort from her father, something she'd ignored for so long as a teenager, was something she knew she'd never take for granted again.

She smiled widely and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting her anxieties slip away in her father's embrace.

* * *

Everyone was exhausted by nightfall. No one spoke much around the fire, it was clear nerves were high about what they'd be facing in the morning.

"Can you take this to him?" Carol asked her, handing out a bowl of food to her and nodding her head over at Daryl who was taking watch on top of the overturned bus at the front of the gate. "He said he didn't want any, but we both know he's lying."

Rhiannon nodded and smiled gratefully at Carol, taking the food from her. She stood with a groan, feeling her joints ache as she walked, it had been a long day. She inwardly groaned as she stepped in front of the bus, realizing how tall it was.

Daryl noticed the look of disdain on her face and laughed quietly. He kneeled down and grabbed the bowl from her hands, placing it down beside him. She ignored his hands that reached down to help her up and she found her footing on the steel pipes under the vehicle.

Daryl had a small smile on his face as he watched her climb up to meet him. She sat herself next to him, her legs hanging off the side of the bus.

"You need to eat." She told him softly, giving him a pointed look making him sigh and reach for the bowl of food.

The two sat in silence, Rhiannon sneaking glances at him every couple of seconds. He hadn't spoken much since he'd gotten back from his hunt and it worried her.

"You aren't really mad at me are you?" She asked quietly, her face void of the smile she'd had before.

Daryl looked over at her quizzically and let out a small laugh. "I ain't mad. Just thought you'd want some space."

"Why would I want space from you?"

Daryl shrugged, averting his gaze from hers shyly. "I know you're worried 'bout this place, 'm worried too, didn't wanna make you feel worse."

"Daryl, you don't have to avoid me cause you don't have all the answers. I'm not expecting you to solve all my problems." She told him softly, intertwining her fingers with his. "I was just worried you were pissed at me for earlier."

"Not pissed at you, was just...scared. Don't like you bein' in the middle of walkers without me there."

Rhiannon nodded slowly, she felt the same, she hated it when Daryl when hunting by himself without anyone to watch his back. It didn't matter how capable he was, that didn't ease her mind much.

She sighed and laid down on her back so she could look up at the stars. "Don't you wish we stayed at the cabin?"

Daryl smiled lightly and nodded, slowly laying himself down next to her, setting his empty bowl to the side. "You know you're sisters would go crazy if you were away any longer."

"Yeah, probably." She laughed lightly. "They'd miss you too."

Daryl scoffed in response, his gaze focused on the sky above them to avoid looking over at her. He didn't believe that, he was the hunter of the group, he brought them food and fought to keep them safe, that was the only reason he'd be missed.

He knew he wasn't what Rhiannon's sisters expected for her, he saw the way they looked at him in the beginning. He couldn't believe that they saw him as anything more than the hunter and the guy fucking their sister.

"What was that noise for?" She asked, her brows furrowing at the scoff he'd let out.

"They'd miss havin' meat for dinner, that's 'bout it." He stated simply, making her frown even deeper.

"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him face to face, but he kept his gaze away from hers. "Daryl, you're not just a hunter to these people, they care about you. We're like a big dysfunctional family and it includes you whether you like it or not."

Daryl just shrugged and reluctantly moved his eyes to hers. "It ain't the same for me an' you. You talk to everyone, they all love you. I can't… It ain't like that for me."

"So? Just cause you don't open up to them the way I do doesn't mean they don't care about you."

Rhiannon noticed the look of doubt on his face and she sighed in annoyance. It looked like nothing she said would change his mind. She rolled her body over so she was laying over him, making him let out a grunt. He looked up at her in surprise, a smile threatening to crack his scowl.

"You are the most stubborn man I've ever met." She told him, her tone playfully stern.

"Guess that makes us a good pair, don't it?"

Rhiannon smiled and bit her lip teasingly. She leaned down to kiss him softly, her hands winding through his hair. She could tell Daryl was reluctant to do this by the way he hesitantly kissed her back. She knew he didn't want to do this when anyone could look over and see them.

She pulled away and smiled at the shy expression on his face. "You're cute." She told him and kissed the top of his nose, rolling off of him to lay at his side again.

Daryl sent her a playful glare. "Ain't cute." He grumbled.

"We can still do stuff, just gotta be quiet." She said quietly as she started to kiss his neck. Daryl's eyes widened and he let out a noise of shock.

"Uhh…" Was all he was able to say. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips quirking up into a smile as she started to make a hickey on his neck. "You're fuckin' crazy, darlin'." He mumbled.

She pulled away and smirked. "No, you're just a prude."

Daryl looked over at the group to make sure they weren't watching them, he'd probably die of embarrassment if they saw her sucking on his neck. He looked back at her and couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of him. He was content to just watch her as she looked up at the starry sky in awe.

He thought back to their time at the cabin. Those three words she'd told him had absolutely floored him. He felt that he'd ruined the moment by not saying it back. Sure, he'd said that he feels the same way, but he hadn't outright said those three words. He knew she was looking forward to it but she'd never push him to say it.

He was sure of how he felt for her, he knew he loved her, but saying the words 'I love you' was something that still scared him. He'd never said those words to anyone in his entire life. Maybe his mom before she'd died and before she'd gone completely off the deep end with her addiction, but this was different.

He still had his fears about telling her and he didn't know what to do to make them go away. He didn't even really know what his fears were, he knew he loved her but he was just so out of his comfort zone, he was doubting himself with every decision he made.

He watched the woman next to him with a small smile and suddenly he couldn't remember what the hell he'd been scared about.

Rhiannon suddenly gasped, her eyes going wide. "Oh my god, did you see that? It was a shooting star!" She spoke excitedly. "Ok, we have to make a wish."

Daryl watched her with adoration as she closed her eyes, her face scrunched in concentration. She opened them after a couple of seconds and looked over at him, a wide smile on her face.

"That was so cool, I haven't seen a shooting star in years." She said with a childlike wonder that he found so endearing.

She looked over at him with a smile that made his heart flutter wildly in his chest. It left him breathless. "Did you make a wish?"

Daryl didn't answer, he just stared back at her, his face void of any doubt or insecurity that had plagued him just minutes before. Rhiannon's smile faded slightly at the intensity in his gaze.

"What?"

"I love you." Daryl told her with complete sincerity, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rhiannon's eyes widened as she looked at Daryl in surprise. Had he really just said those three words she'd been wanting to hear? Daryl was even surprised himself. He figured he'd be stewing in his insecurities and fear for much longer than he had. But watching her look at the stars with such happiness made him realize he couldn't wait any longer.

"I love you too." She whispered back, making him look back at her shyly with a small smile on his face. She fiddled with the necklace he'd gotten for her, as she tried not to show just how emotional his words had made her feel.

She reached over and laced her fingers with his and he squeezed her hand in his tightly. He looked over at her, feeling a new sense of ease as he had finally come clean about his feelings for her.

He couldn't believe his life. Despite the world going to shit and crumbling around him, he felt like the luckiest man on earth. He couldn't believe that the beautiful and strong woman beside him loved him and that he had moved past the darkness that had brought him down his whole life, and that voice in the back of his mind that told him he'd never be happy, to love her back.

Daryl leaned down to kiss her softly, this time not caring if the others saw. He was in awe that a girl like Rhiannon loved him and wanted him in a way he never thought was possible and he didn't care who knew.

They kissed slowly, not caring about their surroundings and not having any mind to take it any further. They were just content to indulge in this kind of closeness they rarely got. As they kissed, both of them found they were less stressed about what they'd be facing in the morning.

* * *

"Be careful." Hershel told his two daughters, his eyes worriedly casting over to the infested yard every few seconds. He didn't like that Rhiannon and Maggie were putting themselves in danger, but he also couldn't ignore the pride he felt that he had raised these two strong women.

Rhiannon hugged her father tightly, sensing his unease with the situation. "We'll be fine."

Maggie was right behind her, taking her place in her father's arms as soon as Rhiannon had pulled away and moved to hug Beth. It was never easy leaving their family to go on runs, it was even worse this time, if anything happened to them, they'd be watching through the fence the whole time.

Rhiannon shivered at the thought and shook her head, moving towards Daryl who was almost twitching with anticipation. He looked up at her as she approached and his darkened expression lightened when he saw her.

"You good?" He asked her, his hand reaching out for hers.

She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Just wanna get this over with."

"You'll be fine. I got your back." He told her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You stay by my side the whole time, got it? You take one step away and imma be pissed." He warned her, his stern voice meant to assure her but when she smiled and laughed at him, he realized it hadn't worked.

"Got it, boss." She saluted him sarcastically making him send her a playful glare.

"I'm serious, darlin'. Need you by my side the whole time." He told her quietly, his face turned serious. Rhiannon lightened her teasing smile and squeezed his hand in hers tightly.

"I will be. Don't worry."

She didn't have time to reassure him anymore as Rick stepped towards the gate, his face shrouded with deep concentration as he stared at the courtyard in front of them. They knew it was time to go.

Rhiannon regretfully pulled her hand away from Daryl's and reached up to take out her sword. She shifted on her feet nervously as she waited for Rick to unlatch the gate. She turned her head and met Maggie's eyes, her face creased with worry. She sent her a small nod, letting her sister know they'd be ok.

The small group of them hurried into the courtyard and Rhiannon had to hold back a flinch at the sound of the gate closing behind her. Rick and T-Dog, who were at the front of the circle they'd made, were the first to take out the walkers coming towards them.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes when she realized that she and Maggie were at the back, she wondered if they'd done that deliberately. If it was, she was sure Daryl had some say in the decision.

She kept her eyes forward but turned on her heel abruptly when she heard growls coming from behind them. She suddenly realized being at the back of the group wasn't an advantage when she saw walkers heading towards her.

With one fierce swing of her weapon, the two walkers were decapitated and fell to the ground. She noticed more coming from around the corner and before she could even take a step towards them, Daryl's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Stay here." He warned her sternly, giving her a pointed look.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and looked to Maggie who nodded, knowing exactly what she wanted to do. The sisters moved towards the walkers confidently, not even looking back at their boyfriends who called out to them.

"Rhi, the fuck did I tell you?"

"We got it!" She yelled back at him and in seconds, she and Maggie had taken down the small group. They quickly ran back to the group of men that were partly glaring at them and partly staring at them in awe.

Daryl stared at Rhiannon with barely contained anger, his face beginning to turn red. He was just about to start yelling at her when she thrust her sword forward, making him flinch and jump back. He turned his head in time to see the walker she'd gotten fall to the ground, just inches from him.

"What were you gonna say?" She asked sarcastically, giving him a wicked smirk. She stepped past him, leaving him frozen in his spot, gaping at her.

He shook his head and jogged to catch up to her as they moved deeper into the courtyard.

Rhiannon immediately skidded to a stop and threw herself against the door when she noticed the area near the back that was flooded with walkers. "Shit." She muttered, sharing a look of annoyance with Rick.

She heard growls from behind her and quickly jumped out of the way as walkers dressed in police gear staggered towards them. Daryl immediately fired off a shot at one that was coming near her, but his arrow just bounced off the shielded helmet it was wearing.

Rhiannon swung her sword, lobbing it's head from it's shoulders. She turned and sent them a smug smile making Maggie glare at her, it wasn't like they all had swords too.

Her smile fell when she heard Rick call out for Daryl and she ran with him towards Rick. She stayed a few steps back as they closed the gated part of the court yard, locking in all the walkers, so she could watch their backs and take out anything that tried to get close to them.

They moved quickly to take out the remaining walkers. As soon as the last body fell, she let out a long breath, finally realizing she'd been holding it in. She was running on pure adrenaline, it felt like the fight had only lasted seconds. A small smile grew at the thought that the fight was over, that the thing she'd been dreading all night was finally done.

It suddenly hit her that she'd gone against what she'd promised Daryl and ran towards a group of walkers without him. She turned on her heel to face him and gave him a sheepish smile when she saw the scowl on his face.

"It looks secure." Glenn spoke up, making Rhiannon sigh in relief that he'd delayed her groveling.

They grouped together again, this time Daryl was practically hovering over her as he stood behind her, his chest against her back.

"Not from the look of that courtyard over there. And that's a civilian." Daryl pointed out, making Rhiannon's high dissipate as quickly as it had come.

"So the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison."

"If there's walls down, what do we do? We can't rebuild this place." Glenn asked, his eyes surveying the dead walkers that lay around them.

"Can't risk a blind spot. We have to push in." Rick told them and before anyone could interject, he was walking towards the entrance.

"You gonna listen to me this time?" Daryl growled in her ear as they walked behind Rick.

"I was just doing what needed to be done." She defended herself.

"Mhmm."

Daryl's response made her glare up at him. He finally sighed, his angry expression loosening as he looked down at her. "Just stay with me this time 'fore you give me a heart attack." He grumbled.

Rhiannon let a small smile crack her features and she nodded, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. Her relief that he wasn't mad at her and about to blow her off was short lived as they approached the door.

She realized the courtyard was the easy part, that they were going into this blind. It was terrifying.

She held her breath as Daryl opened the door and she followed behind him slowly, her weapon held tightly in her hands.

The silence in the prison was eerie. She looked around, suddenly realizing this was the first time she'd ever been inside one, it wasn't something she thought she'd ever see. She made sure to stay with Daryl as the two of them looked around the empty room. She looked up as Rick got their attention and held up a set of keys.

Her stomach dropped, they had to go into the cellblock where the prisoners were. This was the part she was dreading the most. She didn't want to see people that became walkers because they were trapped in cells and starved to death, but she also didn't like the alternative. She didn't want to share this place with prisoners who'd survived.

Her steps faltered as they stepped inside the cell block. Daryl turned to look at her when he realized she wasn't right behind him where she should be. He watched as she looked at the cell blocks with a slight fear in her eyes. He knew she was feeling out of her element in this place. She'd told him last night that she never thought she'd ever step foot into a prison.

He hadn't either, it was jarring for him to be inside one knowing he'd spent his whole life avoiding it in fear that he'd end up like Merle.

Thankfully, there were only a couple of walkers and it hadn't taken them long to clear it out. Rhiannon was the first to volunteer to go get the others from outside. She knew she'd have to get used to the cells eventually, which she wasn't looking forward too.

She waved to her father who was waiting for them, pacing in agitation. He immediately opened the gate and rushed forward, scooping her into a hug.

"Everyone's ok?"

She nodded. "We're all fine."

"How is it?" Carol asked, already holding all her stuff in hand, eager to get inside.

"It's…prison. Pretty much what you'd expect." She shrugged. It definitely wasn't an ideal place to live, she didn't even want to think about what she'd seen splattered on those walls, but at least it actually had walls. That was all that mattered now.

She helped carry their stuff inside and shook her head from all the negative thoughts she had. She watched as her sisters smiled at each other and her father sighed in relief as they stepped in. She knew this place would be good for them, she just had to keep reminding herself that she still had her family so it really didn't matter where they were, as long as they were together.

Everyone began to pick their cells to sleep in, which immediately had her on edge again. Sleeping in a prison cell really wasn't something she thought she'd do in her life.

"I ain't sleeping in no cage. I'll take the perch." Daryl said from the second level, making a smirk break out on her face. It seemed like they had the same thoughts running through their heads.

She rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs. She ambled toward a cell off to the side of the stairs, dropping her bags on the bottom bunk. _At least it had a mattress,_ she told herself.

She turned, looking for Daryl, and poked her head out of the cell. She snorted when she saw him lying on the floor between the stairs.

"Are you serious?" She called out to him, making him open his eyes and look over at her.

"What? I ain't sleepin' in there."

"I'm not happy about sleeping in there either, but it's better than the nasty ass floor."

Daryl just shrugged and laid his head back down against his jacket that he'd balled up as a pillow.

"Daryl, I'm serious, that floor is disgusting. If you sleep there, I'm not touching you for a week."

He looked up at her and she had to stifle a laugh at the fear she saw in his eyes at her threat. His eyes narrowed at her challengingly. He suddenly let out a small laugh. "Sure." He drawled sarcastically.

Rhiannon crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow. "I give it ten minutes before you come crawling into my bed."

She turned on her heel and before she walked into her cell, she grabbed the hem of her dirty, blood stained shirt and pulled it off, leaving her in her bra.

Daryl's eyes widened at her actions and he swallowed thickly, feeling his arousal ignite. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to block out the thought of her naked body in that cell.

"Fuck." He muttered and stood from his place on the floor, grabbing his bag with more force than was necessary. He stomped off to the cell she chose and threw his bags down.

His arms wound themselves around her waist, his touch on her bare skin making her shiver, and he began placing kisses on her neck.

Rhiannon smiled widely. "Didn't even make it ten seconds."

"Yeah, I ain't stupid." He mumbled against her skin, turning her around to face him so he could kiss her properly. She moaned against his lips and moved her arms to wind around his neck, her fingers tangling in his growing hair.

The kiss didn't last long, they were both too exhausted for anything else. Daryl leaned his forehead against hers, his arms still around her waist to hold her to him.

"You ok?"

She nodded and looked up at him, touched at his concern for her and his ability to tell when she wasn't completely ok.

"Just gotta get used to this."

"I know." He said quietly. He guided her to lay down and crawled onto the small bunk next to her, the two of them barely fitting together. "You an' me, we're gonna be fine." He whispered, his head tucked into the crook of her neck.

"I know we will." She whispered back, a hint of a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax enough in his arms to fall asleep.

* * *

 **Extra long chapter for making you wait a little longer than usual. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx**


	37. Chapter 37

Rhiannon yawned and stretched her arms out as she woke slowly.

"Ow," Daryl groaned tiredly after promptly getting hit in the face by her hand.

"Sorry." She mumbled, her voice still laced with sleep and a hint of amusement.

She turned on her side so she was facing him, a small smile on her face as she opened her eyes slowly. Daryl still had his eyes closed, but he also had a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Did I hurt your pretty face?" She teased and had to hold back a laugh as he finally opened his eyes and scowled at her.

"Stop." He groaned, his eyes falling closed again.

Rhiannon grinned and nuzzled in closer to him, his arm moving around her waist to hold her in an instinctual move whenever she was close. She threw her leg over Daryl's and closed her eyes, ready to go back to sleep when she felt his hard length against her thigh.

Her brows furrowed and she raised her head from where it lay on his shoulder. "Seriously?"

"Can't help it." He mumbled.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh. She looked around the dirty cell they were in and cringed slightly, this place really put a damper on her arousal, she didn't know how Daryl could ignore it.

She could hear the distant chatter of the rest of the group and sighed, realizing that they had to get up and start the long day of clearing out the prison. She crawled over him to get up out of the small bed but was pulled back by Daryl's arms around her waist.

"What are you doing?" She laughed, surprised by his playful nature.

"Don't wanna get up yet. Wanna stay here with you...alone."

Rhiannon looked down at him quizzically. That wasn't like him at all, usually he was the one to pry herself off of him because he didn't want to miss a watch shift. He never wanted to be the last one up.

"You're acting weird, what's going on?" She asked bluntly, her brows still furrowed in confusion.

Daryl just rolled his eyes, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Can't I just relax? You're always buggin' me 'bout bein' too uptight."

"You wanna start now, today of all days?"

Daryl's eyes shifted away from hers which immediately had her suspicious. Rhiannon eyed him with scrutiny causing him to shift under her hard gaze guiltily.

Rhiannon's eyes widened with realization and she sat back on his thighs, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't want me to go today. You're trying to persuade me with sex to stay behind." She accused, her voice laced with disbelief.

Daryl bit his lip and she scoffed slightly at his silence, he couldn't even come up with a good lie to defend himself with.

Rhiannon crawled off his lap and he watched as she forcefully pulled her boots on and changed her shirt. He felt shame at his immature plan, but he had to at least try to keep her from going. He should've known any idea he had to keep her on the sidelines would derail horribly.

He sighed and sat up, slipping his own boots on slowly. He could feel her burning gaze on his and looked up shyly and had to hold back a wince at the icy glare on her face.

"I'm sorry." He told her lamely, knowing his apologies wouldn't do much to crack the hard look on her face.

"You really think you could manipulate me into staying back?"

Daryl sighed and ran his hand over his tired face. "No, I knew it wouldn't work."

"Daryl, you have to stop with this chauvinistic bullshit."

"I ain't a chauvinist." He defended himself, his tone becoming more sharp.

Rhiannon sighed and relented, sitting next to him on the small bunk, realizing she could prevent this from becoming a full blown argument.

"You can't keep protecting me like this. I get that you wanna keep me safe, but making me stay behind is the exact opposite way you should do it. I don't wanna be one of those girls that hides behind her boyfriend."

"I don't want you to be either." Daryl said quietly and reached for her hand. "I like how strong you are, it's what made it impossible to ignore you back at the farm."

Rhiannon smiled, letting out a light laugh and moved closer to him. She placed a kiss to his cheek and ran her hand through his hair, making him sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again. "Just don't want you runnin' off like you did yesterday."

Rhiannon felt a wave of regret wash over her at his accusatory tone and she looked down at her boots. "I know I was being a bit of brat yesterday, but trust me, that's not gonna happen today. There's no way I'm going off on my own down there."

Daryl looked at her and nodded slowly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Rhiannon looked up at him and kissed him properly. She pulled away too soon for his liking, leaving him wanting more.

"I'm not leaving your side today, Dixon."

"I'll believe it when I see it." He smirked sarcastically making her roll her eyes and nudge him in the stomach with her elbow.

"Come on, don't want them speculating about what we've been doing." Rhiannon told him, standing up and grabbing his hands to hoist him up as he groaned in disgust at her words.

They both grabbed their weapons, but he stopped her before she could step out of their cell. Daryl placed his hands on her face and pulled her in, kissing her fiercely. Rhiannon felt herself melt into the kiss and her hands gripped onto his strong back.

He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. Rhiannon bit her lip and looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks, reveling in their closeness which she was worried would be limited now that they didn't have much privacy.

"You're not making this easier." She said quietly, feeling close to taking him up on his offer from before.

Daryl smirked, finally feeling like he had the upper hand when it came to teasing. "Now you know how I feel all the damn time."

Rhiannon smiled and grabbed his hand as they walked out of their cell and down the stairs. She waved to Carol who was standing outside Lori's cell, her worried frown turning into a smile at the sight of the couple.

Daryl slowly untangled his fingers from hers, feeling slightly embarrassed that he'd been caught being affectionate like a regular boyfriend. He didn't mind acting that way with Rhiannon, he'd gotten used to it months ago, but showing it in front of the group was still a touchy subject.

"The others are in there, they're looking through the equipment they found." Carol told them. She leaned down into the bag at her feet and pulled out two granola bars and held it out to them. "Here, you two need breakfast before you go."

Rhiannon took the bar and unwrapped it eagerly while Daryl hesitated, reluctant to take their limited food supply when there was a kid and a pregnant woman to be fed. Carol and Rhiannon turned simultaneously to give him identical glares.

Daryl sighed and unwrapped the granola bar, taking a small bite. He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid their pestering and it was better to just give in.

"You comin'?" Daryl asked, noticing Rhiannon hadn't started walking when he had.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute, just gotta talk to Carol."

Daryl nodded and tried not to show his worry about leaving Rhiannon and Carol to talk. He didn't doubt that she'd be telling her what he tried to do just five minutes ago. Rhiannon noticed the look on his face and sent him a reassuring smile, letting him know he didn't have to worry.

She watched as Daryl walked away and slowly turned to Carol. She'd noticed the ashen expression on her face before they'd approached.

"Is she ok?" She asked quietly, craning her neck to look into the cell where Lori was.

"She's almost due, she's getting scared."

Rhiannon nodded, she couldn't even imagine what she was going through. Giving birth in this world was scary enough, but having to do it in prison, she didn't even want to think about what was happening in Lori's mind.

Rhiannon didn't say anything, she didn't know what she could say to make the mother feel any differently. Carol noticed her apprehension and smiled softly, finding it just so like Rhiannon that she felt lost because, for once, she couldn't help someone.

"Just do your thing, clear out the prison and make this place safe for them. That's all we can do now." Carol told her, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "I'm gonna get your dad, maybe he can calm her down."

Rhiannon nodded, letting out a deep breath. She spared one last look at Lori who was curled up on her bunk and walked with Carol to the common room.

"Hershel." The older woman called out to him and nodded her head towards the cell block.

"Everything all right?" Rick asked, the worry in his tone clearly evident.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." Carol assured him, though it was obvious that did little to ease his mind.

Rhiannon shared a constraint smile with her father as he stepped out of the room to follow Carol, and she turned her attention back to Rick whose eyes stayed locked onto where they'd just left from.

"You can go check in on her, we'll wait for you." Rhiannon finally spoke up after a tense silence. She wanted to grab Rick by the shoulders and shake him until he understood. It was obvious he still cared about Lori, she didn't know why he wouldn't just swallow his pride and go talk to his wife when it was obvious they were both struggling.

Rick finally tore his eyes away and looked down at Rhiannon. He sighed and shook his head, his attention turning back to the weapons on the table.

"No, it's fine. 'Sides, we gotta wait for you dad."

Rhiannon paused and looked up in shock. "What?" She exclaimed, her voice laced with panic. "He's coming with us?"

Rick nodded slowly and shared an amused smile with Daryl who just rolled his eyes at her worry. She was finally in their shoes, but he knew it wouldn't change her mind about going.

"He told me to tell you he'll stay if you stay." Rick smiled, thoroughly amused at the perturbed look on her face.

"Sly bastard." She mumbled. "Guess he's not the only one in my life." She said looking up at Daryl with a sarcastic smile. His smirk immediately fell and he gave her a pleading look, silently telling her, for the second time that day, not to tell anyone about his stupid plan that morning.

"Here, put this on." T-Dog said, relieving Daryl from her teasing.

She turned and looked at the vest he was holding out to her. She let out a short laugh and turned back around. "You're joking, right?"

"Gotta be safe in there, Tiny."

Rhiannon turned her head around again and looked at T is disbelief. "You really think I'm going anywhere near that disgusting thing?"

"Would you rather be dirty or alive?" Rick spoke up, his fatherly tone making Rhiannon hold back an annoyed groan. She hated when he talked to her like that.

"Then you put it on."

Rick paused and looked at the vest before scrunching up his nose and shaking his head.

"Rhi, come on." Daryl said, the soft expression on his face making her consider giving in, but one more look at the vest had her stomach turning.

"Nope. Look, I promise I'll be good today, no breaking the rules, but I'm not touching that thing." She argued.

That seemed to shut the men up and they all shared sighs of defeat. Maggie and Glenn regrouped with them, sporting vests, and Daryl immediately turned to face her smugly.

"How come she doesn't get to wear one?" Maggie complained, seeing Rhiannon without the gear on.

"You're already wearing it, no take backs." T-Dog said quickly, wanting to drop the subject before it ended up that no one was wearing anything to protect them.

Rhiannon let out a devious laugh causing Maggie to scowl at her. "You look cute." She told her, making a smile crack on her younger sister's face.

Hershel came walking back and they knew it was time to get serious. Rhiannon loaded the handgun she starting keeping in the back of her jeans, and ignored the conversation Rick was having with Carl. She knew the kid wanted to come with them, but even she was terrified of what they'd find, there was no way she was letting Carl go.

"Let's go." Rick said.

Rhiannon quickly moved to give Beth a tight hug.

"Be careful." She whispered.

"I will." Rhiannon told her. She felt a hand on her arm and looked up at Carol who gave her a small smile, before she was leaving the cell block where Daryl immediately placed himself at her side.

The small group of them were silent as they left the area they were familiar with and moved to the dark, ominous hallway off to the side. Rhiannon's eyes locked onto the angel wings in front of her as Daryl unlocked the door.

Rhiannon ignored her racing heart and pushed her anxiety to the side, not wanting it to cloud her instincts as she moved with the group slowly. She made good on her promise and stayed just a step behind Daryl, who was at the front with Rick.

She flinched slightly at the shaking of the spray paint can Glenn was using to mark their way and rolled her eyes at herself for her paranoia.

They continued to walk in silence through the maze of hallways and Rhiannon was surprised they hadn't run into any walkers yet, well live ones anyway. She made sure to look straight forward and not at the bodies that were torn to shreds below her feet.

Maggie suddenly let out a yelp and gripped onto Rhiannon's arm. She instinctively held onto her sister tightly and pulled her back behind her. She looked down and cringed, letting out a noise of disgust as she saw a rat scurrying past their feet.

Daryl, hearing the loud yell, spun on his heel and held his bow up, thinking a walker had come after them. His tense body relaxed when he noticed the rodent running away and he looked up at the sisters lamely.

"It's a rat, how do you think we're gonna react?" Rhiannon snarked, still holding onto Maggie protectively who was hiding her embarrassed smile with her hand.

"Sorry." She whispered and pulled herself out of Rhiannon's arms, straightening herself up as they started walking again.

They all stopped in their tracks simultaneously as they heard the unmistakable moaning sounds of the dead. They moved forward slowly and as soon as Rick had peered around the corner and saw the crowd of walkers heading towards them, he pushed them back.

"Go back, move!" He yelled.

Before Rhiannon could even catch a glimpse of a walker, Daryl had his hand around her arm as he pulled her with him as they ran. She wasn't even sure they were going the right way back, they were just turning anywhere they could.

She heard a scream and looked over her shoulder. Her stomach dropped when she didn't see Maggie or Glenn behind them anymore, just a group of walkers.

"Maggie!" She yelled and moved to run back, but Daryl had caught her, wrapped an arm around her waist and had to drag her away, knowing she'd run straight through the walkers to get to her sister.

"Let go of me!" She protested, kicked her legs out wildly to get out of his tight grip.

"Stop." Daryl said sternly, his tight grip never ceasing. They found a storage closet to find refuge and Daryl practically carried her in. "She's gonna be fine, we're gonna get them." He told her as he sat her down on the ground, kneeling in front of her.

Rhiannon was trembling slightly and she reached out to grab his hand, looking for any kind of comfort she could find. Daryl hated seeing the fear in her eyes and he squeezed her hand in his.

"We have to go back." Hershel whispered frantically, his hand finding Rhiannon's free one.

Rick nodded and looked at Rhiannon with sympathy at the terrified look on her face. "Alright, T, take Rhiannon back-"

"Rick, I swear to god, don't start with that shit now. I'm not going anywhere without my sister." Rhiannon interrupted him harshly, the tone of her voice shocking him into silence.

The leader nodded slowly and sent her an apologetic look. He stood and they all followed. Rhiannon tore her hands out of the grips of her two favourite men who had been comforting her and held onto her sword tightly.

They walked quickly, checking down each hallway they passed. The anxiety and fear she had of the depths of the prison melted away as determination to find her sister rose. She was so concentrated on following Rick, she didn't even realize her father had broken off from the group.

"Do you know which way?" Rick asked her, turning around to face her. He frowned deeply when he noticed Hershel wasn't behind them, the look on his face startling Rhiannon before she could answer him.

Before she could ask him what was wrong, a cry of pain tore through the eerie silence of the prison. Rhiannon's blood ran cold and she took off sprinting. She skidded to a stop and almost fell over as the sight of her father with a gash in his leg paralyzed her.

"Dad!" She cried out, placing a hand over mouth to stifle a sob.

She immediately felt tears sting her eyes and the gunshot that rang out right beside her head didn't even faze her, she barely even flinched at the loud noise. She moved on shaky legs unsteadily and grabbed Maggie who looked about as ready to collapse as she felt. Maggie latched onto her, crying into her shoulder.

Rhiannon gripped onto her tightly, her eyes glued to the scene in front of her. She didn't want to look, she didn't want to see him in pain or see the fear in his eyes, but for some twisted reason, she couldn't tear her eyes away, she was completely frozen.

The sounds around her rang in her ears loudly, it made her feel like she was at a concert that was determined to make her ears bleed with the most horrible sounds she could ever imagine. Maggie cried loudly and her father yelled in pain, pleading for help, it all made her chest tightened to the point where she was certain she'd pass out from a lack of air.

Rick and Glenn hoisted Hershel up, placing his arms over their shoulders and they practically carried them down the hall. Rhiannon didn't even realize she'd followed them until they got to a set of double doors. She turned and saw Daryl behind them, his bow raised at the crowd of walkers that followed them.

She saw the handcuffs that kept them shut and pursed her lips in annoyance. She tore herself away from her sister and pulled her sword forward, swinging down roughly, cutting them in two and bursting through the doors.

They laid Hershel down on the dirty floor and Maggie immediately moved to cradle his head, holding him protectively. Rhiannon's steps faltered and she stared at the bite on his leg, her pulse thundering in her ears. She slowly moved to kneel on the floor next to him and swallowed thickly when she saw Rick taking off his belt to tie around his leg. She knew what that meant it made her feel sick to her stomach.

Hershel grabbed her hand, startling her. She looked over at him and her lip trembled at the look on his face. She'd never seen her father so scared before.

She hadn't even realized she was crying until a rough hand cradled her face. She flinched and turned her head, sighing in relief when she realized it was Daryl. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and grabbed her other hand, bringing it up to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it before moving to her other side to help hold her father down.

"Only one way to keep you alive." Rick said, his shaky hand reaching for his axe.

Rhiannon whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut as Rick brought the axe down to her father's leg over and over, each swing causing Hershel to cry out in pain like a wounded animal. She felt Daryl squeeze her hand almost painfully as she let out a sob and turned her head away from the scene.

She had her hands on Hershel's other leg, her fingers gently squeezing to give him any kind of comfort she could offer.

Rhiannon winced at the sound of the axe hitting the tiled floor and she spared a glance. She immediately regretted it and placed a hand over her mouth at the sight of the open wound and her father's detached foot.

Rick fell back on his haunches, his eyes holding a spacy, far away look. She looked down at the blood that seeped out of his leg and knew she couldn't let her grief or shock keep her from helping her father. She had to push through the urge to curl into a ball and sob to help him.

Rick was snapped out of his daze, his gaze finally moving from the severed foot that was his doing and looked up at Rhiannon who had taken her long sleeve shirt off, leaving her in just a tank top and pressed the fabric to her father's wound, trying to stop the blood.

Rick placed his hands over hers when he noticed them trembling violently and helped her put pressure on the stump. Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and sniffled, using her arm to wipe at her face. She suddenly felt Daryl tense beside her and he moved himself closer to her so that his arm was pressed against hers.

"Duck." He whispered, causing Rick to frown but obey nonetheless. Daryl sprung up and aimed his bow, making the rest of them finally realize they had company.

Rhiannon cursed under her breath and let out a frustrated sigh at the sight of the prisoners. This was exactly what she didn't want to run into. She looked down at her unconscious father and felt her resolve beginning to crumble. _What a fucking day,_ she sneered in her mind.

"He's bleeding out, we gotta go back." Rick said, his voice shaky with a panic she'd never heard from him before. He guided Maggie to take his place to help her keep pressure on the wound and he stood to help Daryl as he approached the prisoners.

Rhiannon ignored the prisoners, though it made her already aching heart feel even worse to leave Daryl to deal with them, but the thought was fleeting as she stared down at the blood that began to stain her hands.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Rick ordered. Glenn quickly came back with a trolley and she helped hoist her father up to lay on it.

"T, open the door!"

Rhiannon grit her teeth as T-Dog opened the door, a few walkers immediately stumbling in. She picked up her sword from the ground and swung viciously, a wicked cry leaving her lips from exertion.

They began to wheel him out but Rhiannon stopped. "Daryl." She called out to him weakly. He turned his head, the glare he had on the prisoners immediately softening when he saw the state she was in.

He turned his head back, keeping his eyes on the prisoners and his bow trained on them as he slowly walked backwards out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight he turned and placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the tombs quickly.

It was a blur to Rhiannon how they got back, the only thing she knew was that Daryl had kept his arm around her the whole time, keeping her steady as they ran back. She only finally left his side when they got back to the cell block, she didn't even realize he'd stayed behind.

Rhiannon stayed back to give Carol and Lori space as they laid him out on the bunk and started working on his leg. She stayed frozen in her spot as Glenn and Carl ran around her, tossing in pillowcases and towels, anything they could find to help stop the bleeding.

She felt completely useless just standing there, but she couldn't find the strength inside of her to will herself to move. She watched with tears in her eyes, her breath coming out in pained gasps as her father stayed unresponsive and unmoving.

She jolted out of her daze when she felt a hand intertwine with hers. She turned her head and saw Maggie looking at her through her tears, her worried eyes piercing her. Rhiannon squeezed back and tore her gaze away, the look on Maggie's face was too much to bear.

Rick passed them and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing comfortingly.

She looked up at him and Rick swallowed thickly at the overwhelming sadness he saw in her eyes. It was something he'd never seen from her before, even after what had happened with Shane and he'd thought he'd seen her at her worst. It didn't compare to how she looked now, he'd never seen her look so broken.

His sad eyes were empathetic and he didn't say a word to the sisters, knowing there was nothing he could say to make this better. He walked passed them out of the cell block and Rhiannon's eyes followed him.

She knew Daryl wasn't in here with her or else he'd be right by her side, she knew he was out in the common room with the prisoners, she could hear their voices.

A shiver went down her spine and she shook her head, her attention turning back to her father. She couldn't think about that now.

Beth finally broke down after trying hard to keep it together, but she couldn't handle seeing her father like that. Maggie rushed over to her and brought her into her arms, letting her cry it out. Rhiannon watched regretfully, feeling shame that she didn't move to her and just watched as her sisters cried.

She moved to run a shaking hand through her hair, but stopped, remembering the blood that covered them. She swallowed thickly and brought them down to her sides, not wanting to look at them for another second.

Carol turned her head to look at Rhiannon, noticing that the young woman hadn't said a word, hadn't even moved her spot just outside the doorway. It wasn't like Rhiannon to stand by when someone needed help, especially if the person in question was her father.

Carol could see how traumatized the poor girl was and it caused her stomach to twist in a way that was familiar to her. It reminded her of when Ed would hurt Sophia and she couldn't do anything to protect her little girl.

There was no question that Carol looked after Rhiannon and felt a bond with her that she didn't have with the others, besides Daryl, but looking at her in the moment and seeing her so upset, it made Carol feel like she was a mother again and that she needed to help her child.

"Rhi," Carol called out softly, making the young woman blink and snap herself out of her thoughts. "Come here."

Rhiannon hesitated, but moved forward slowly. On shaking legs, she lowered herself to sit on the floor next to Carol who immediately placed her arm around her shoulders, pulling her in to lay against her.

"You're not gonna lose him. I'm not gonna let that happen." Carol whispered.

Rhiannon had to hold her breath to keep from letting out the sob that threatened to escape. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to break down because to her, that meant giving up, it meant accepting the harsh reality that the chances of him recovering from this were slim.

She didn't want to cry, because it made it real.

* * *

The men stepped back inside after showing the prisoners the courtyard, proving just how much the world had changed. They were going to head back to the cafeteria where they'd cut off Hershel's foot to take half of the food supply that was left.

Daryl didn't like that they were helping the prisoners, he didn't see a happy ending where they could all live together. It was unrealistic to think they could. He tapped his foot impatiently as they loaded up their weapons, his head turning to look into the cell block every couple of seconds.

It didn't feel right to go off and leave Rhiannon to deal with this crisis alone. He knew she wasn't really alone, but he wasn't there for her when she needed him and it made his stomach turn. It wasn't right.

"Hey man, can you give me a minute?" He asked Rick quietly.

Rick saw the desperation on his face and nodded, knowing the hunter would fly off the handle if he didn't let him go see Rhiannon. He could tell the man was on edge and being apart from his girl on the worst day of her life wasn't something Daryl would take lightly.

"Make it quick."

Daryl suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at Rick and made his way into the cell block. He could understand that Rick was antsy to get the situation with the prisoners under control, but this clearly took precedence. Daryl didn't give a shit what happened to those guys.

He slowled his stride as he approached the cell the rest of the group was crowded into. He stepped inside slowly and averted his eyes from the bloody stump on display. He saw Rhiannon leaning against Carol who held her protectively, which didn't reassure him the way he thought it would.

He thought if he saw her with the people she loved, getting taken care of, it would make him feel better about leaving, but it didn't. Nothing would.

He cleared his throat, getting her attention, and the sight of her watery, grief stricken eyes almost knocked him off his feet. He felt his chest tightened and leaned down, holding his hand out to help her up from the ground.

Rhiannon immediately took his hand and followed him out of the cell.

"You doin' ok?" He asked softly once they were out of earshot from the others.

Rhiannon just shrugged in response, her eyes not meeting his. Daryl chewed on his lip, his fingers tapping against his thigh anxiously. He didn't know what to do to help her, he didn't know what to say to her. They'd never had to deal with something like this before. He felt absolutely useless.

"Look, Rick's got a plan and I gotta go deal with those guys." He told her, hating the words that were coming out of his mouth. He felt like the worst boyfriend in the world.

Rhiannon nodded slowly, feeling herself close up even more at his words. Daryl noticed her quiet demeanor, which was so unusual for her, and frowned deeply.

"I can stay if you need me to." He offered, silently hoping she would ask him so he wouldn't feel like such a jerk.

"No, it's fine. Do what you need to do." She said, her voice raspy with emotion she tried to suppress.

Daryl didn't believe that it was fine, but he didn't want to push her right now. She was hanging on by a thread and he didn't want to be the thing that broke her. It felt wrong so he settled on pulling her into him and holding onto her tightly to trick him into thinking he was doing his part as the good boyfriend for her.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, feeling tears sting her eyes as Daryl hugged her. She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head.

He pulled away regretfully, suddenly remembering that the others were waiting for him. He pressed a long kiss to her forehead making Rhiannon squeeze her eyes shut as she willed herself not to cry from the affection he was showing her.

"I'll be back soon." He mumbled, his lips still just a breath away from her forehead.

Rhiannon nodded and watched as he walked away slowly, like he didn't want to leave. He kept looking back at her as he left and he had to keep psyching himself up so he didn't turn around and tell the prisoners to go fuck themselves and deal with it themselves. He knew he couldn't do that so he turned forward and kept himself from looking back at Rhiannon, knowing he'd crumble if he saw her sad eyes again.

It warmed her heart that Daryl had offered to sit on the sidelines to be with her, but that wasn't who he was. He was Rick's right hand man and he couldn't just ignore him when he needed help.

She slowly made her way back to the cell and leaned against the doorway. She shared a look with her sisters who looked just as wrecked as she was sure she looked too. She sent them a weak smile that was more pitiful than anything else, and turned to look back down at her father.

She sighed deeply and for the first time since she was a child, she began to pray.

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who sent a review on the last chapter. Hope you enjoy! xx**


	38. Chapter 38

Rhiannon sat at the top of the stairs alone, her head resting against the metal bars as she leaned to the side. She couldn't stand to sit in that cell anymore. She couldn't keep watching her father's chest rise and fall and wonder when it would stop.

She could hear Carol and Lori chatting and she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to tune them out. She was more than grateful for what they were doing to help, but she couldn't listen to them talk anymore, she couldn't understand how they could have a normal conversation while her father lay unconscious in front of them.

She knew they probably needed a distraction, but it wasn't working for her and she needed to be as far away from it as possible before she lost it and crumbled into a mess of tears.

"Hey," Glenn called out to her, making her raise her head. He slowly stepped up the stairs and stopped in front of her, holding out a bottle of water. "Figured you wanna wash it off." He said quietly, looking down at her fidgeting blood stained hands.

Rhiannon nodded and he sat down next to her and handed the bottle over. He watched her carefully as she scrubbed at her hands, leaving them a light pink color from how rough she was being.

He frowned and reached out to stop her harsh movements. He gave her a sad smile, noticing the startled look on her face as she looked down at her trembling hands.

"I got it." He told her and began to wipe the blood off, this time much more gently than she'd been.

"Thanks." Rhiannon whispered. Glenn looked up in surprise, he hadn't heard her speak since it had happened, he figured she was too traumatized to say anything.

He was glad he'd gotten her to speak, it tricked him into thinking he was actually being useful.

Once her hands were clean of the horrible, taunting reminder, he handed her a shirt, the only thing he could give her, to wipe her hands dry. She sighed, realizing they'd used all the towels they had to help her dad.

Glenn could see the spacy look on her face clear as day. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look over at him.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly, worried that if he didn't whisper he'd scare her off like a frightened animal.

Rhiannon tore her eyes away from his questioning eyes and looked down at her shoes. "I was praying. Well, trying to anyways, I don't really know how." She admitted after a long pause.

Glenn nodded thoughtfully. From what Maggie had told him, Rhiannon wasn't the religious type, it's what had caused a lot of the fights she used to have with Hershel before she moved away. She must have really felt lost to turn to praying.

"I used to pray too." He spoke up, clearing his throat from the lump he felt growing. "After this all started and Atlanta got bombed, I could only assume that my family was gone. My parents, my sisters, I lost all of them in one night. I didn't know if I was doing it right either, but I had to try."

"What were you praying for?" Rhiannon asked, her gaze now locked on his. "If you'd already lost them, what was there to hope for?"

"I guess I just wanted to think that they were ok, even if they were gone, and that maybe someday down the line I'd see them again. I don't know if I believe in some of the stuff your Dad talks about, but I like to think there's something after this, that death isn't the end." he shrugged, suddenly feeling like he'd overshared. "I dunno, It's just comforting to think about."

Rhiannon nodded understandingly. "I wanna believe in that too." She spoke up, making him look up at her with a hint of a smile.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the bars of the staircase, the heavy feeling on her chest just a little bit lighter.

"You're a good guy, Glenn."

Glenn smiled bashfully and looked down. She smiled lightly, it reminded her of when she complimented Daryl and he got so shy he couldn't look her in the eye. Her heart clenched as she thought of him somewhere deep in the prison. She quickly forced those thoughts out of her mind. It wouldn't do her any good to think of that.

"Can't have you in a funk, I need my partner in crime." Glenn smiled, gently nudging her shoulder with his. She smiled lightly and looked down. She noticed a silver chain hanging out of his pocket that she recognized.

"I didn't know you had that." She said softly.

Glenn pulled the watch out of his pocket and Rhiannon felt a wave of emotion hit her as she looked at the thing she always stole from her father whenever she and Maggie played dress up as kids.

"I didn't wanna show it off. I think your Dad felt bad he gave this to me and didn't have anything to give Daryl."

"I really don't think he'd mind. If you haven't noticed already, he's not really into that sentimental stuff."

"I beg to differ." Glenn said pointedly and pointed to the necklace she wore. The one Daryl had given her.

She fiddled with the chain and looked down, feeling butterflies erupt as she looked at the lightning bolt pendant he'd gotten her because he knew how much she loved to watch thunderstorms. Just thinking about him made her miss him, which she knew was ridiculous because he'd only been gone twenty minutes.

But when things were bad, he was her rock, and it hurt not having him with her on the worst day of her life.

"I know I'm not Daryl, but if you need to talk I'm always here." Glenn told her sincerely.

Rhiannon felt an urge to hug him, Daryl wasn't here to give her one of those bear hugs she loved from him, so Glenn would have to do. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, surprising him slightly.

He'd only ever hugged her a couple of times before, once that time at the bar all those months ago, and another time after a close call they'd had on a run. The glare Daryl sent him was enough to never think of touching Rhiannon again. He was glad he wasn't here now, though he was sure the hunter wouldn't mind with what she was going through.

Their hug was cut short as they heard raised voices from below them. Rhiannon recognized the familiar voices as her sisters and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She got to her feet and made her way down the stairs, Glenn trailing behind her.

"What's going on?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maggie's planning Daddy's funeral, wanna help?" Beth spat, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Rhiannon's eyebrows raised, both in surprise from Beth's tone, which she'd never heard before, and at her words. She turned to Maggie and gave her a questioning look.

Maggie sighed and ran her hands through her short hair in exasperation. "I just don't want her gettin' her hopes up."

"I don't need you tellin' me how to deal with this!" Beth yelled at her, her eyes filling with tears in frustration.

"Ok, ok, why don't you try and calm down. This isn't what we need right now." Rhiannon told her softly, though her words earned a glare from Beth, which made her feel a little uneasy. She had never seen Beth like this.

"What I don't need right now is you two tryin' to make me feel better about this. I know what's going on, I know what could happen, you don't need to treat me like a child." Beth argued.

"You _are_ a child." Maggie told her sternly, making Rhiannon roll her eyes and sigh in frustration as the two of them began to raise their voices and fight again.

She shared an annoyed look with Glenn, who looked more hopeless and uncomfortable being in the middle of the sisters as they yelled at each other.

"You two need to shut the fuck up!" Rhiannon yelled, finally coming to the end of her patience. "Maggie, If you wanna prepare yourself for the worst, go ahead. Beth, if you wanna have hope, fine, do that. Do whatever the fuck you need to do right now. We don't know what's gonna happen, but there's no point in speculating unless you wanna drive me fucking crazy."

Maggie, Beth, and Glenn all started at her wide eyed, their jaws slack as they listened to her rant. Just minutes before, she'd been silent and reserved, leaving her grieving to herself. But now, she was letting it all out.

"God, he's been unconscious for an hour and we're already at each other's throats, what the fuck's gonna happen if we actually lose him? You two figure out whatever shit's going on and get over it. He's more important than whatever the fuck this is."

Maggie and Beth nodded slowly, looking sheepish and shy. They apologized to each other softly, both feeling a little ridiculous at their childish actions.

"Damn, you can be scary when you want to." Glenn mumbled, making all the sisters laugh slightly, a welcome distraction from the fight and their father.

Rhiannon smirked, feeling more prideful than she probably should've. "I'm the oldest. When dad's not around, you guys answer to me."

Maggie snorted in amusement. "Grow a couple inches, then maybe I'd take you seriously."

They all laughed, Rhiannon sending Maggie a playful glare. They suddenly trailed off, their laughter dying slowly, realizing it wasn't the time to be joking.

"It feels wrong to laugh." Beth said sadly and they all nodded.

"We should get back in there." Rhiannon said. She grabbed Beth's hand and they walked back to the cell. It seemed like there was a dark cloud hanging over the room as their mood immediately shifted as soon as they stepped back in.

They watched in silence, listening to his raspy breaths. Each one was like a blow to her gut, it hurt to see him so weak. It made Rhiannon remember why she'd been sitting out on the stairs instead of being in the cell.

Just minutes later, Rick and T-Dog came back, their spirits much higher than theirs, though the sight of them carrying food was enough to lighten their mood just a little.

"Any change?" Rick asked, peeking into the cell.

"Bleeding is under control and no fever, but his breath is labored and his pulse is way down." Lori explained sadly.

Rhiannon frowned, she hadn't known that. She placed her hand over his wrist to see for herself and she went rigid as she felt the slow thump under her fingers. She let out a shaky breath and pulled her hand back slowly, worried that her slightest touch could hurt him.

She sat back as Glenn came in, holding Rick's cuffs in his hands, looking down at them like they might hurt him. He looked at Rhiannon sadly, silently apologizing to her that he had to do this.

Rhiannon stood and walked out of the cell so she didn't have to watch her father get cuffed to the bed.

She didn't want to think about what that meant.

She leaned against the wall, craning her neck to see if she could spot Daryl in the other room, but she had no luck. A loud sigh left her lips and she tapped her foot against the floor anxiously.

She felt useless just sitting there, waiting for something to happen. She wanted to do something, to get her mind off of her father's current state, it wasn't doing her any good stewing in her sadness.

She bit back a groan, knowing what she wanted to do would cost her a lot of groveling. She moved quickly, stopping Rick and T-Dog before they could leave.

"You alright?" Rick asked, immediately concerned that she'd flagged him down.

"Yeah, I just, uh, I wanna go with you." She said nervously and winced slightly as both of the men in front of her sent her looks of disbelief.

"W-what? I don't- why the hell..?" Rick stuttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You should stay here incase somethin' happens."

"No, I can't do that. I can't just sit here waiting for him to die."

"Rhi, you don't know that's gonna happen, he could pull through." T spoke up thoughtfully, looking at her with empathy.

"Or he might not. Either way, I can't watch him like this. If he does go, I don't wanna see it happen."

Rick sighed and looked unconvinced. "Rhiannon, you're his daughter, you need to be here if-"

"Rick, I already watched one of my parents die, I can't do it again." She interrupted him, her voice breaking slightly.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, thinking over her words. "You really wanna be around those prisoners?" He asked, grasping at straws to convince her to stay behind.

"I have a sword, I'll be ok." She stated simply.

Rick let out a breathy laugh that conveyed how tired he was. "Fine, get your stuff." He finally gave in.

Rhiannon smiled and nodded, running back to get her weapon and tell her sisters.

T-Dog noticed the agitation on Rick's face and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She can handle this, we don't gotta worry."

"You really want her around those guys? How long do think it's been since they've seen a woman?" Rick argued quietly so Rhiannon wouldn't overhear.

"You really think they're gonna get within five feet of her with Daryl around?"

Rick sighed and nodded in understanding, feeling reassured that the hunter would fight to the death if the prisoners tried anything.

Rhiannon came hurrying back, sending a wave to Maggie and Beth, who weren't happy about her leaving but they understood why she needed to.

"Ready?" Rick asked, sounding a little more enthused than he had before which made her relax, knowing she didn't have to keep convincing him she would be ok.

"This should be fun." T-Dog muttered sarcastically as they walked out of the cell block. He wasn't looking forward to Daryl's reaction to her presence. He didn't want to be the one that faced his wrath for letting her come with them. Worse came to worse, he'd blame it on Rick.

Rhiannon walked behind them cautiously, already preparing herself for the shit storm that was Daryl's over-protectiveness.

"Fuck no. Go back." Daryl barked sternly the second he saw her practically hiding behind Rick.

"Daryl, she wants to help." Rick said, trying to calm him down.

"I don't give a shit." He growled and stomped over to her. "You ain't goin'. Don't want you anywhere near them." He hissed quietly so they wouldn't hear.

"Daryl, I can take care of myself, I've done it before. I've dealt with worse men and I'm still kicking, so shut up."

Daryl stared down at her, slightly surprised, but unamused by her words. "Don't tell me to shut up." He mumbled.

In any other situation she would've laughed at him, he sounded like a whiny teenager. But now, she was just plain annoyed after the day she'd had.

"Then stop acting like I'm not strong enough to do this."

Daryl opened his mouth but quickly closed it, letting her words sink in. He sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "Rhi, this ain't about you not bein' strong, this is about those men bein' in here for a reason and me not wantin' them anywhere near you."

"I can't be in there." She whispered and his gaze softened. He linked his pinkie with hers, the only amount of affection he let himself show, knowing the prisoners were most likely watching them and not the killing demonstration Rick was giving them.

He sighed loudly. "Fine." He said in annoyance. "I swear to god, they even look at you-"

"You'll put an arrow in their eye, I know."

Daryl had a hint of a smile on his face as she repeated the threat he'd always give Shane back on the farm. Unfortunately, he never got to follow through on his wish, but her words made him believe she knew he'd protect her the way he did on the farm.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly, letting go quicker than she wanted as they stepped back with the others. Even though he didn't want to show affection in front of the prisoners, he stayed glued to her side, his arm brushing against hers, as if that would mark his territory.

The prisoners stared at Rhiannon, some in shock, like they weren't expecting to see her ready to fight with them, some staring at the weapon across her back, but one of them stared at her with a devious light in his eye that made Daryl squirm.

Rhiannon looked at the long haired prisoner defiantly, surprising him as she looked him right in the eye, which he wasn't expecting.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He spoke up, a wicked grin on his face.

"Rhiannon." She said shortly.

The prisoners introduced themselves and Rhiannon could tell right away the ones she needed to look out for. Tomas seemed like the leader of the group, well at least he tried to be. Andrew seemed like his only follower, while the others seemed harmless. They looked shell shocked at finding out the way of the world and she could empathize with that, something she never thought would happen between her and someone in prison.

Her gaze turning to Rick. "We good to go?"

Rick nodded, his weary gaze still on Tomas, whose gaze was still locked on Rhiannon.

"Never seen a chick with a sword before." He spoke up as they began to file into the maze of hallways deep into the prison.

"Xena, Wonder Woman, The bride from Kill Bill, Lucy Liu in Kill Bill, that girl from those pirate movies." Rhiannon answered immediately. "You should've watched more movies."

Some of the other prisoners chuckled as Tomas' smirk fell into a scowl. He hadn't expected her to talk back.

Daryl placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked and gave her a look of impatience, silently pleading with her not to talk to him, not to start anything. The long haired asshole had been getting on his nerves with all his back talk, he knew he'd be the one to cause trouble.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at how high strung he was being, but stayed silent anyways. She stayed next to him, bringing up the front of the group and she could feel eyes on her as they walked, but she kept quiet. If she told Daryl, all hell would break loose and she didn't want a murder scene on her hands.

"Make sure you're holdin' it in front of you." Daryl ordered quietly as they stalked through the hallways. He turned to make sure they were ready when he noticed all their eyes cast downwards.

They snapped up to face him, realizing they'd been caught staring at Rhiannon. They all avoided Daryl's eyes as he glared at them fiercely. All except Tomas, who looked her up and down in view of Daryl, not caring about making the hunter angry.

He sent a smirk to Daryl who was practically fuming. Rhiannon put her hand on his arm, pulling him back to her before a fight could break out.

She squared her shoulders as Tomas sent her another hungry look. She suddenly wished she wasn't wearing her tank top and was still wearing her long sleeve shirt.

Thankfully, the sound of walkers staggering towards them from around the corner broke the two men out of their standoff. Rhiannon wanted to roll her eyes, she never thought she'd be thankful to hear walkers coming towards them.

She sent Rick an irritated look as she moved to stand back with him as they let the prisoners take the lead. Daryl stomped over to stand next to her, his face still turned down into a harsh scowl. He gave her a look as if to say 'I told you so' and crossed his arms over his chest.

She ignored his look and kept her gaze forward, which didn't make her any less annoyed as the prisoners ignored everything Rick had told them about how to kill a walker and they started beating up the undead creatures like they were members in a gang.

"These are the men you were scared to let near me?" Rhiannon scoffed in disbelief, watching them with sight amusement. "Are we gonna help them or..." She trailed off, looking up at Rick questioningly.

Rick just sighed in response, closing his eyes in frustration. Rhiannon took his silence to make the decision for herself and moved forward, swinging her sword out to take down a walker that had its grip on one of the prisoners.

The rest of the men sighed and followed her lead, taking out the rest of the walkers. As soon as the last one fell, Daryl grabbed Rhiannon's hand, pulling her back to him and away from the prisoners who had eyed her like a piece of candy.

"Let's keep moving." Rick said sternly, taking Daryl and Rhiannon's place up front. He'd noticed the way those men looked at her as they walked and he wasn't letting that happen again.

Rick turned to them and motioned with his head down one of the hallways, hearing the growl of more walkers. Daryl nodded in response and they headed towards it.

"It's gotta be the brain. Not the stomach, not the heart - the brain." Daryl reminded them, firing an arrow to the brain to show them how it was done.

Rhiannon stayed back, leaning against the wall behind them with T-Dog next to her. She felt like she'd already done her good deed for them and this time she was letting them deal with it.

She didn't want to admit to Daryl that she didn't like being around these men. He'd never give in to her again if she did.

Daryl looked back at her briefly, giving her a nod when he noticed her position. He'd prefer she'd be back in the cell block, but he had to pick his battles and her staying out of the way now was the only win he'd get in this situation.

She watched anxiously as the prisoners fought off the walkers. This time they were actually killing them, but as more and more of the dead started to come around the corner, she felt her confidence in them begin to slip.

She cursed under her breath and gave T a look, who sent her a nod, and they finally stepped forward, joining in the fight.

Her sword plunged forward, hitting a walker straight in the eye. Tomas, who had his weapon held tightly in his hands ready to take it down, turned abruptly to face her. He was going to get mad at whoever took his kill, but when he saw it was her, his scowl turned into a smirk and he sent her a wink.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and slashed another walker that was inches from getting him, making him jump back.

"Don't take your eyes off them, idiot." She told him.

Tomas eyed her with disdain which threatened a laugh to escape her. Rhiannon knew there was a certain kind of man in this world that didn't like getting his life saved by a woman and she could tell Tomas was one of them by the way he glared at her and harshly swung at the rest of the walkers as if trying to prove his dominance and strength over her.

A loud yell caught their attention and she spun on her heel, noticing one of the prisoners, the one who towered over her like a giant, was missing.

They all ran to towards the sound and Rhiannon flinched as a gun fired, the sound echoing through the halls.

She stared at Tomas, who look much too pleased with himself for taking out the walker. She wanted to scold him for firing a gun but she felt like she'd pissed him off enough for now, Rick could deal with it instead.

"What happened?" She asked breathlessly and her shoulders sagged when she noticed his hand covered in blood, his eyes wide with shock.

Rick pulled his flashlight out and made him turn around to get a better look at his wound. Rhiannon winced at the sight of the deep scratch on his shoulder.

"I'm telling you, I don't feel anything. It's just a scratch. I can keep fighting." The prisoner argued.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do." Rick told him solemnly.

"You cut that old guy's leg off to save his life."

Rhiannon was struck by those words, like she'd forgotten it had happened. It felt weird to hear it mentioned so casually and she was suddenly regretting that she wasn't by her father's side, which in turn made her feel more annoyed as she felt she was reaching her breaking point.

Too much had happened today that made her want to scream and hearing the prisoners argue wasn't helping anything.

Daryl noticed the look on her face and the way she fidgeted where she stood. He stepped towards her and reached for her hand. He could tell she was overwhelmed, he got like that sometimes too, when everything around him made him feel like closing in on himself.

Rhiannon gave him a weak smile and focused back in on the others, realizing it wasn't a good time to be in her head, not after someone had just been handed a death sentence.

"There's nothing we can do." Rick told them again impatiently.

Before the prisoner could keep defending himself, he was hit over the head and fell to the floor.

Rhiannon jolted in surprise and her wide eyes looked up at Tomas who looked down at his weapon, almost endearingly, before continuing to hit the poor man over the head.

Daryl immediately placed himself in front of her as they both watched in shock at his display of brutality. Rhiannon gripped onto the back of his vest and for the first time she wasn't annoyed at Daryl's protectiveness as he shielded her from the man's view.

She was suddenly regretting every sassy remark she'd given Tomas.

The group was silent, even his fellow prisoners looked at him wearily as he looked back at them, his face splattered with blood. His eyes roamed over to Rhiannon and he looked at her defiantly, as if he was finally proving his dominance to her after she'd shamed him before.

Tomas smiled slightly when he noticed the way she hid behind the redneck and he found pleasure in the unsettled look in her eyes.

Daryl tensed and tightened his grip on his bow, ready to aim and fire if he took one step towards her. Once again, the two men were left at a standoff as they stared daggers at the other.

Rick was the first to move and he stepped in between them, stopping the potential fight without any words and motioned for the others to follow. He let them go ahead of him and he walked at the back with Rhiannon in between him and Daryl.

Rhiannon would've rolled her eyes at their protectiveness, but she really didn't mind at this point. She didn't want to be anywhere without them now.

"You see the look on his face?" Daryl said quietly, his eyes trained on the prisoner's back.

"He makes one move..."

"Just give me a signal." Daryl looked down at Rhiannon who stayed quiet and he couldn't ignore how smug he felt for being right about those men. "Gald you came?" He asked her sarcastically.

Rhiannon glared up at him which shut him up and they continued to walk in silence.

She wasn't glad she came, she didn't want to be anywhere near these men, but that didn't mean she'd rather be back in the cell block. It seemed like she couldn't go anywhere, there was no safe place for her to go to distract herself from what was happening and it made her want to scream in frustration.

They made it to the laundry room and Rhiannon was close to losing her patience when she realized they still hadn't made it to the other cell block the prisoners would stay in. She brought her sword up and walked towards the doors that the walkers on the other side pushed with the anticipation of food.

She had to bite back a scoff as Tomas pulled at the doors with no luck, giving them a cocky smirk to make them think he wasn't opening them on purpose. She hadn't had to deal with cocky assholes in a long time, she found it ridiculous she still had to deal with them even after the world ended.

She was brought back into reality when both doors sprung open and a crowd of walkers came stumbling towards them. She cursed under her breath and swung her weapon forcefully at every one that came near her.

"I said one door!" Rick scolded him.

"Shit happens." Tomas replied, making Rhiannon's annoyance with him reach a new high she didn't know it could reach.

An arrow pierced through the walker that was right in front of her and that small action made her calm down. It should've been strange to her that something could ever make her smile while she was killing a bunch of walkers, but with Daryl, she'd learned a long time ago not to question her body's responses to him.

"Rick!" She yelled as he fell to the ground, a walker on top of him. Daryl was immediately running to him before she could and her gaze moved to Tomas who just stood and watched.

She felt a chill run down her spine and she stared at him accusingly. The look of warning he gave her made her stiffen. It was like a flashback to the farm when she held all of Shane's dirty secrets and he knew he needed to keep her quiet.

Thankfully, all the walkers were taken care of because in that moment, Rhiannon was frozen in her spot, her eyes filled with a kind of fear she hadn't had since Shane.

"It was coming at me, bro." Tomas said casually, finally tearing his harsh gaze from Rhiannon and to Rick who stepped towards him, his body tense, ready for a fight.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Shit happens."

Everyone watched with bated breath as the two men stared at each other, each taunting the other to make a move.

Before Rick could bring his axe down, Tomas moved back swiftly and reached for Rhiannon. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her towards him, his arm moving across her neck to hold her to him.

She whimpered slightly at his tight grip and squeezed her eyes shut as memories of Shane flashed through her mind.

Daryl aimed his bow at the man holding his girl and he grit his teeth painfully.

"Let her go." He growled.

"Or what?" Tomas taunted him, letting out a laugh at the desperation in Daryl's eyes. "Come on redneck, what are you gonna do? You gonna hurt your girl to get to me?"

Daryl practically shook with anger, his hard gaze locked on the man. When his eyes moved to Rhiannon, his gaze softened and she could see how scared he really was.

"What about you?" He turned to Rick, his grip on her tightening as he moved her. "You gonna risk her life to kill me?"

He held Rhiannon close, using her to shield himself. He held the crowbar he'd used to kill his friend against her temple, making her swallow thickly and wince at the feeling of the blood that soaked the weapon touch her skin.

"Put it down and let her go." Rick said, his voice wavering slightly as he watched Rhiannon breath unsteadily like she was on the verge of tears.

She was one of his closest friends and he cared for her like a sister, it wasn't easy to see her like this.

"Get your fuckin' hands off her!" Daryl yelled when Tomas made no move to let her go. He tried to stop his hands from trembling and hold his crossbow steady, but the way Rhiannon whimpered in pain at his grip and squirmed in his arms, made it impossible for him to calm down.

Rhiannon forced her eyes open, she could see Shane in the darkness, could imagine his grip on her and it made her feel sick. Not like Tomas was much better, but she'd take anyone over Shane any day.

"I ain't askin' again, asshole. Take your goddamn hands off her now." Daryl growled, his resolve beginning to slip. He couldn't stand seeing her in someone else's arms, he couldn't stand seeing the fear on her face, and he couldn't stand the thought that he was letting this happen again.

"I dunno, feels good to touch a woman again." He teased, his hand moving down to her chest, making her stiffen under his touch.

Daryl breathed heavily, trying desperately not to fly off the handle. He knew he couldn't just the shoot the man or he'd risk hurting Rhiannon. The look on her face made a rage he hadn't felt in a long time bubble inside him.

He had no doubt what was going through her mind, the memories of the farm and the man that tormented her. His heart rate climbed to a dangerously fast rhythm and he felt his blood boil.

She felt hopeless as she thought of Shane and what had happened on the farm. She didn't want to feel that now. She'd proven to the man she could handle herself and the reason he'd used her as a shield was because he thought she was just a helpless woman who he could overpower easily.

She didn't want him to be right. She grit her teeth and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could. He let out a cry of pain, immediately ceasing his grip, making her fall to the floor. It was all the time Rick needed to bury his axe in the man's head.

Daryl was by her side in a second and he hoisted her up, holding her to him tightly. He breathed heavily, burying his face in her long hair. Rhiannon was shaking in his arms and it made Daryl wish he had been the one to kill the son of a bitch.

Rhiannon was so caught up in her own head, she hadn't even noticed Daryl was pointing his bow at one of the prisoners, who was now on his knees, until she turned in his grip. She noticed Rick was gone as well as Andrew, the only one who followed Tomas.

"I'm sorry he did that to you." The blonde haired prisoner spoke up nervously, hesitantly looking at Rhiannon. "We never wanted-"

"Shut up." Daryl barked at him, cutting him off.

"It's ok." She whispered. She pulled herself out of Daryl's grip and looked up at him. "I'm ok." She told him, though her small voice did little to convince him. He kept his arm around her waist, holding her tightly, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

It wasn't like him to do something like that when they weren't alone, she really didn't expect him to do it in front of the prisoners. She knew he must have been just as shaken as she was from it all and that overruled his logic.

Rick suddenly came stomping back into the room with a dark expression on his face. His walked over to her, his eyes softening slightly when he noticed she still looked a little stunned and frightened.

"Are you ok?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded in response and he immediately turned his attention to the remaining prisoners, pointing his gun at their forehead.

Rhiannon watched uneasily as one of them, the one who apologized to her for something he didn't do, pleaded for his life as he cried. Her frown deepened as she watched him cry, it didn't feel right.

"Rick." She called out to him as he accused the men of working together. "They didn't do anything, it's fine. Let's just get them to their cell block."

Rick looked at her in shock, his wide eyes looking into hers as if to see if there was any part of her that didn't believe her own words or regretted them. She just sent him a nod, reassuring him that it was the right thing to do.

"I'm gonna take you back." Daryl told her softly as Rick and T-Dog got the prisoners to their feet. Rhiannon turned to face him and sighed deeply.

"I can go." She said and stood on her toes to lean her forehead against his when she saw he was about to protest. "Made it this far, don't wanna turn back now."

Daryl hesitated, but eventually gave in and nodded. This time, he kept his hand intertwined with hers as they walked the rest of the way to the cellblock.

She wanted to say something to Rick as he forcefully pushed them inside. She wasn't happy about having to live with them around, but she knew they weren't like Tomas, they didn't seem like the violent type. She didn't want Rick to treat them like shit, it wasn't their choice to be in here.

She looked into the cell block and immediately took a step back, not wanting to step foot in the room when she saw the dead bodies that littered the floor.

The sight in front of her made her wonder if clearing out the prison was even worth it. She didn't want to add yet another thing to her vast collection of nightmares.

She let Rick and Daryl deal with them again, she let them refuse their plea for help, knowing she'd probably cave if they asked her. If the situation were reversed, she'd want help, but she couldn't let herself get sentimental, she couldn't let herself feel too much for them, she still didn't completely trust them and she didn't want to end up getting hurt.

Daryl walked out of the cell block and was immediately at her side.

"Hey," Axel called out to her. "I'm sorry again, about what he did."

Rhiannon sighed, somewhat hating the fact that he seemed like a nice guy, it just made this harder. "I'm sorry too." She said softly, sparing a quick glance at the bodies laying out of the cells.

Daryl sent a final glare his way, the man's apology wouldn't make him forget that he'd been staring at Rhiannon's ass just twenty minutes ago.

The group started to make their way back to their cell block, their pace slow as the weight of the day hung on their shoulders heavily.

"You sure you're ok?" Rick asked, looking back at her in concern. After the farm, he felt like he'd owed a lot to Rhiannon, not only for what she'd done for him and the group, but to make it up to her. He never forgave himself for how he handled the situation with Shane and he wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"Yeah, just want this day to be over." She said quietly and Daryl's grip on her hand tightened.

"You and me both." T-Dog muttered tiredly.

Rhiannon felt like she wanted to burst into tears, or scream at the top of her lungs, she couldn't decide what would make her feel better.

She didn't want to go back to the cell block and find out if her father was dead yet. She definitely didn't want to be anywhere else in the prison either, she just felt completely lost at this point. She wondered if this was her apocalyptic version of a midlife crisis.

Her thoughts wandered to her father, which made her chest tightened painfully with worry, and they drifted to Tomas and the way he'd touched her.

She shivered slightly, feeling like his hands were still on her.

She couldn't stop comparing him to Shane, who she had gone months without thinking about, but now it was like it had happened all over again and she was back to square one, feeling lost and used and broken.

As they got back to the cell block she realized she couldn't decipher what she was feeling in that moment. She wasn't scared to see her father, she wasn't anticipating that he'd be better.

She just felt numb.


	39. Chapter 39

Daryl stared down at Rhiannon, his brow furrowed with worry as he saw the blank look on her face as they stepped into the cell block. He figured she be running in to see how Hershel was, but instead, she walked slowly behind the group, her face void of emotion.

The large room was silent as they stepped in and Daryl slowed his stride so he could walk next to her. He studied the way she moved, noting how lethargic she was. It had been a long day for all them, but the things she'd been through in the past couple of hours made him worry for her.

"Hershel stopped breathing." Carl told them as they walked towards the group.

"What?" Rhiannon asked sharply, her face finally cracking from the emotionless void it previously held.

"My mom saved him." Carl told her quickly, seeing the frantic look in her eyes. It was hard for Carl to see her like this. For as long as he'd known her, Rhiannon was like a superhero to him, she continually proved her strength and he looked up to her for it.

It was strange to see her in any other way.

Daryl felt relieved at her display of emotion, he'd worried she was beginning to close in on herself and cut the rest of them off. That didn't mean he wasn't still worried as hell about her after what happened with the prisoners.

Rick placed his hand on her shoulder and nodded his head into the cell, motioning for her to go inside. She hesitated, feeling a heavy weight on her chest as she looked down at her father who was still unconscious.

Maggie grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, resting her cheek against the top of her head as she hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here." Rhiannon whispered.

Maggie shook her head. "You didn't want to see it." She replied softly. Maggie knew her sister well and she knew it was hard for her to keep her strength in a time like this.

Seeing their mother die is what drastically changed Rhiannon and changed her relationship with them for years. That was the last thing Maggie wanted to happen and if Rhiannon taking time away is what stopped it from happening again, she wouldn't object or think twice about it.

"You're here now." Beth spoke up, giving her a small smile and planting herself on her other side.

Rhiannon sighed, thankful that they didn't hold any grudges on her for leaving. She wrapped her arm around Beth and ran her hand through her hair comfortingly.

The three sisters sat side by side, looking down at their father with grim expressions. Rhiannon looked at his hand that was cuffed to the bed and she frowned deeply, exhaling shakily.

His fingers suddenly twitched and her eyes widened, she didn't know it that was a good sign or not.

"Daddy?" Maggie questioned, seeing his eyes beginning to twitch, like he were dreaming.

Her father let out a deep, raspy breath, and his eyes fluttered open slowly. Rhiannon held her breath, but upon seeing the usual green colour she was familiar with, a wide smile broke out and she choked back a sob, placing a hand over her mouth.

Rick quickly moved to take the cuffs off, not liking the sight of them any more than the rest of them.

Beth held onto her sister tightly and Rhiannon pressed a kiss to her forehead as her little sister let out a breathless laugh in delight.

Hershel stared at his daughters, wondering briefly if he were dreaming. He looked up at Rick and held out his hand, remembering what he'd done for him, how he saved his life. Rick held his hand and squeezed tightly, as Hershel thanked him silently.

He reached over to grab Beth's hand and replaced his with hers, moving to give the father space to be with his daughters.

Rhiannon looked up at him as he passed and sent him a small, but meaningful smile that let him know how grateful she was to him. Rick smiled lightly and squeezed her shoulder as he walked by.

Rhiannon turned her attention back to her father who smiled up at them tiredly, his heavy eyes blinking slowly. The three of them had their hands placed on his, each of them smiling with watering eyes.

There was a sense of relief and happiness that washed over her as her father smiled up at her. She felt like she could finally breathe again after seeing that he was ok, that she wasn't about to lose her last parent.

But there was a lingering darkness inside her, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Shane's wicked smirk and deranged eyes flashed through her mind and she had to hold back a shudder. The feeling of Tomas' hands on her made her skin tingle with disgust, it made her think about the man she tried to force herself to forget.

She shook the thoughts from her head and put on a brave face, not showing how tormented her mind was in that moment. Instead, she moved her attention to her father and sisters who huddled against her comfortingly.

* * *

Daryl sat with the rest of the group in the common area, it had been over an hour since Hershel had woken but everyone still wanted to give the family some space and time together. He couldn't help but look back into the cell block every couple of minutes. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he kept hoping for some kind of sign from Rhiannon that she was ok.

The sound of footsteps on the metal stairs had everyone looking into the cellblock and Daryl frowned when he saw it was Rhiannon going up to her cell. He was worried about her, the emotionless expression she'd had before wouldn't leave his thoughts and he couldn't help but fear the worst.

"What's wrong with her?" Carl asked innocently, looking to his father who averted his gaze to the bowl in his hands.

"Everything go ok with the prisoners?" Glenn asked, wondering if that had something to do with her hasty exit. The look on Rick's face certainly had him curious.

"Only two left." Daryl muttered, picking at his food slowly. Glenn looked up in surprise and looked to Rick who just nodded tiredly, confirming Daryl's words.

"What happened?"

"One got scratched, the other two...didn't work out." Rick said vaguely. Glenn shifted in his seat, he didn't know what to think. Rick noticed the apprehension on his face and sighed. "One of 'em got his hands on Rhiannon, threatened her."

"What?" Carol spoke up, anger evident in her voice like a protective mother bear.

"He's dead." Daryl growled darkly, feeling his frustration rise the more he thought about the asshole who had his hands on her.

Glenn had a look of horror on his face, a part of him blamed himself, he felt like he should've tried harder to make her feel better so she didn't feel the need to escape and go with them to clear the halls.

"Did she get hurt?" Lori asked tentatively, worry in her eyes. She owed a lot to Rhiannon and it was unsettling to think that anyone would want to hurt someone like her.

"Not physically." Rick said gruffly, sharing a look with Daryl. They both knew what she was reliving in that moment, the fear in her eyes mirrored what they saw that day at the stables when Shane had attacked her.

She wasn't physically hurt, but emotionally hurt was another story.

"Poor girl can't catch a break." Carol muttered sadly.

Daryl clenched his fists, feeling his temper rise dangerously. He couldn't stand listening to them talk about what happened to his girl. He couldn't keep his distance from her any longer, he knew it wasn't what either of them needed now.

He stood from his seat abruptly and slammed his bowl down on the table, startling Carl who was sitting next to him. He stormed into the cell block and took the stairs two at a time, desperate to see her to ease both of their minds.

He skidded to a stop in front of their cell, realizing it was empty. His backpack lay on the bed wide open and he furrowed his brows, feeling his heart rate rise with worry. He quickly made his way back down to the first level and walked to Hershel's cell.

He calmed slightly when he noticed the old man was asleep and Beth was singing to him quietly. Maggie looked up at him and raised a questioning brow, wondering what caused him to look so frantic.

"Where'd she go?" He asked, making sure his voice was quiet so as not to disturb Hershel.

"Said she needed some air." Maggie told him, her voice now filled with worry at seeing how on edge he was. "Daryl," She spoke up, stopping him from sprinting away to find Rhiannon. "She's ok right?"

"I'm gonna go find out." Daryl said and left without another word, quickly making his way out of the cell block.

As he made his way to the catwalk above the courtyard, which was his best guess as to where she was, his stride slowed. He suddenly wondered if he should turn around and give her space.

She clearly didn't want to be around everyone and if she wanted him to be with her, she would've had no shame in coming to get him before leaving. He was only left to wonder briefly when he shook the thoughts from his head.

Back on the farm, Rhiannon was adamant to be there for him, even when he yelled and lashed out at her. She knew leaving him to dwell on his troubles himself was a dangerous game and he wasn't about to do that to her.

He made his way up the stairs and felt immediate relief that his guess was right when he saw her sitting on the ground, her back against the fence. He couldn't ignore the feeling the fluttered inside him when he noticed that the long plaid shirt she was wearing was his, something she'd taken from his bag.

That small act reassured him that he was right where he should be.

Rhiannon was oblivious to his presence, the music that played loudly through her earphones made sure of that. She felt a nudge to her foot and she looked up, a weak smile gracing her lips at the sight of Daryl.

She took her earphones out as he sat down next to her.

"Hey, Tink."

Rhiannon felt her heart stutter at the nickname he'd given her that first day they met. Granted, he certainly didn't mean it in a loving way back then the way he did now.

"Hey, Klutz." She replied softly and Daryl smirked at the name she'd given him.

"What'chu doin' out here?" He asked, causing her small smile to fall back into an expression of hidden sadness.

She shrugged, not really having an answer for him. She didn't know why she'd left her family and come outside, the only explanation she had was that she felt too close to crumbling in that cell and had left to avoid a complete meltdown.

Daryl sensed her hesitation to speak and frowned deeply, trying not to let his temper rise in a knee jerk reaction. He wasn't mad at her, not by a long shot, but the events of the day were enough to leave him frustrated and he wasn't always smart about not letting it out on her.

But he would be damned if he made that mistake now.

"Can I listen?" He asked, reaching for one of the earphones she'd taken out when he'd come by. She nodded and pressed play, letting the sounds of Bob Dylan soothe them both.

The couple sat in silence, letting the song resonate with them.

When it was over Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and Daryl turned his head to look at her, his face creased with concern. He reached out and laced his fingers with hers, finding comfort in the feel of his rough hands contrasted with her soft skin.

"My Dad was the one who taught me about music." She spoke out, a sad smile on her face as she reminisced. "I remember it was before my first dance recital, I was four and my teacher had to get my dad from the audience and bring him backstage cause I was freaking out, I didn't wanna go on stage."

Daryl listened intently, his thumb brushing against her knuckles as she spoke. He liked when she talked about her past, it felt weird to him that they'd had a life before each other that they didn't know about.

While he thought there wasn't much to his story, he wanted to know everything about hers. She was his girl and he wanted to know her, all of her.

"He sat me down and sang along to the song that one of the other dance classes was performing to just to make me laugh." She laughed lightly, remembering how her father had no shame belting out a tune backstage with a bunch of little girls staring at him like he was crazy. He'd done it all for his little girl.

"Everytime after that, if I was stressed about school, or if anything ever upset me, he'd sit me down and we'd listen to music." She paused, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "He used to be an alcoholic and I think he taught me to use music to help me so I wouldn't end up like him."

Daryl watched her sadly as a tear fell down her cheek. She moved to wipe it away but he was quicker, gently brushing his thumb against her skin, wiping the tear away.

"He's ok. He's ain't goin' anywhere." He assured her quietly.

"I know. I just don't think it's sunk in yet."

Daryl watched her curiously, noticing how her eyes didn't hold that usual brightness to them, they hadn't all day and he could understand why, but he was sure after seeing that her father was ok she'd be happier.

She wasn't acting like her usual, upbeat self. She had a kind of happiness he envied. It was a happiness that never seemed to stray too far and she never let things get her down for too long, but today, things were different.

The smile she had on her face when her father had woken wasn't her usual smile. He more than understood that Hershel waking up didn't solve all their problems, he was still pretty hurt, but he thought she'd be more relieved than she seemed.

"That ain't all, is it?"

Rhiannon bit her lip and looked down at her lap, somewhat hating how perceptive he was.

"I was thinking about Shane."

Those words sent a bolt of anger through him and he had to resist storming away to give a few kicks to that asshole prisoner's body. Him being dead wasn't enough for him, it was too easy of a getaway.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, the guilty feeling he had weighing him down heavily.

Rhiannon looked up at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why the hell are you apologizing to me?"

"Never should'a let that happen." He muttered, running a hand over his tired face and sighing deeply. He hated the way he sounded. She was the one who was attacked and here he was acting like he had all the problems in the world.

He didn't want to negate her feelings, but he also couldn't ignore his guilt any longer.

Rhiannon looked up at him in surprise, her lips parting but now words coming out. She exhaled deeply and frowned, realizing she was once again fighting against Daryl's insecurities.

"Daryl, none of what happened is your fault. Not Shane, not Tomas, I don't blame you for any of it and neither should you."

Daryl just shook his head and started to bite at his thumb. "'M supposed to protect you an' I didn't... I haven't been."

Rhiannon leaned forward and placed her hand on his cheek, making him look over at her, but he kept his eyes cast away from hers.

"Daryl, please, there's nothing you could have done. How were we supposed to know he'd do that to me?"

He shook his head and pulled away from her touch. She recognized the look on his face, the look of self hatred and regret that had no business marring his beautiful features.

"I didn't kill Shane the second I found out what he did to you, I didn't kill Tomas, knowing that fucker was gonna do somethin'. The way he looked at you, I just _knew_ and I did nothin'." Daryl told her sternly.

"You didn't kill Shane because I didn't let you." She pointed out, hoping it would make him see reason.

"Why didn't you?" He said roughly, looking up at her almost accusingly.

"You remember the people you kill, it stays with you. Shane doesn't deserve any part of your mind."

Daryl looked up at her, looking almost startled by her words. She felt her chest tighten when she noticed his glassy eyes. She'd never seen him cry before, she'd seen him lose his temper and close to losing it, like that time they were attacked in the store and she'd killed for the first time or one night when she was going through her endometriosis and was in a tremendous amount of pain. He couldn't stand seeing her writhing around and crying, it almost sent him to tears.

"Seein' him with his hands on you, an' you looked so _scared,_ I-I can't - I didn't do anythin'." He stuttered, his voice sounding weak like she'd never heard it before.

"You couldn't." She told him softly, sitting in front of him so he was looking at her. "Daryl, you shouldn't base how well you protect me on the people you've killed for me. That's not you, you're not the kind of guy to just go round putting arrows in people's heads just cause they made a stupid comment, you're not a murderer."

"You protect me everyday, you keep me from spirialing, which is easy to do in all this shit." She said, looking down at the dead walkers in the courtyard below them.

"You've done more for me than anyone ever has. You carried me back to the apartment after that group came to town, you helped me move when I hurt my ankle, you talked me through showing my scars. Everything you've done has been to protect me. Why can't you see that?"

Daryl stared back at her, the intensity in their gazes overwhelming him.

"Can't stand seein' you like that, seein' his hands on you." His voice shook, ignoring her question as he remembered the scene that had struck fear inside him. "Rhi, I'm sorry, I should'a done more."

Rhiannon crawled over his outstretched legs and sat in his lap, moving her hands to cradle his face. "Stop apologizing." She whispered as she pressed kisses to his face.

Daryl shook his head in annoyance. "Shouldn't be makin' me feel better. Fucks sake, _you_ were the one attacked today, I should be helpin' you, not cryin' like a fuckin' pussy." He spat in distaste, berating himself for showing emotion.

Rhiannon sighed at his choice of words, hating the self deprecating tone in his voice, and brushed her thumb against the stubble on his jaw.

"I'd be a mess if I saw you get hurt. I think I'd be mad if you weren't upset about this." She chided him, making him look up at her brazenly, letting her know he didn't find any humor in the situation.

In a way she couldn't explain, reassuring Daryl and looking after him had made her feel better about the day, it helped her process everything and work through it like an adult rather than silently dwell about it until it ruined her mentally.

"It was upsetting today, feeling his hands on me, thinking about Shane. I never wanna go through that again, but you know what's making it better, what's keeping me from bursting into tears right now?"

Daryl stared at her patiently, shrugging his shoulders. Rhiannon smiled lightly and leaned her forehead against his.

"You, dummy. You're what makes this world bearable, you're what makes all this easier." She told him honestly. "Can't imagine where I'd be without you."

Daryl looked up at her, his eyes betraying how utterly overwhelmed he was by her. It still seemed surreal to him that she'd chosen to be with him, that she cared about him so deeply. Her loving heart belonged to him and a part of him still worried that it was too good to be true.

He felt terrible that she put aside her fear to comfort him, it wasn't why he'd come to see her. He was supposed to be there for her after the day she'd had. He sighed loudly and moved his arms to circle her waist, holding her close to him as she sat in his lap.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly, a certain sadness in his voice she very rarely heard. She smiled sadly and nodded, leaning her forehead against his.

"I'm ok. Everyone's been hurt by this world, I just have to keep moving forward."

Daryl still looked unsettled, despite her words, and she pressed a kiss to the crease in his brow, making him relax under her touch.

"They're dead, they can't hurt me anymore." She reminded him with a whisper.

"No one will." He told her with a certainty that made her smile. "No one's touchin' my girl ever again."

Rhiannon smiled and felt herself blush at his proclamation. She pressed a slow kiss to his lips, both of them feeling themselves relax instantly. She placed her hands on the base of his neck, keeping him in place as they kissed. His arms that wound around her waist tightened as he began to kiss her back with more enthusiasm.

She moved her hands to his chest and pulled his shirt up, loving the feel of his abs tensing under her touch on his bare skin. His hands wound their way into her hair, a small moan leaving her lips as he tugged gently.

As their kisses grew more frantic she shrugged off the long plaid shirt she wore, the one that belonged to Daryl, leaving her in her revealing tank top. Despite that he loved seeing her in his clothes, he liked the sight of her without anything even more.

Daryl growled as she bit his lip roughly and grabbed her by the waist firmly before turning them over. He kept his hands against her lower back, keeping her from slamming against the concrete. Rhiannon smiled against his lips and pulled at his jeans, pulling him closer to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and fiddled with his belt, desperate to get it open.

A low grunt left his lips and his hips jerked forward as she ran her hand over his hard length and he frantically unbuttoned his jeans, immediately reaching for hers seconds later. She smirked at his impatience as he tugged them down her legs roughly.

She was about to tease him for his clearly desperate motions when he brought his hand down and thrust two fingers inside her, her smirk falling as she let out a loud moan. He curled his fingers and muffled her gasp as he crushed his lips to hers once again.

The worry and fear he'd had earlier that day after seeing her in Tomas' grip poured through his touch as he thrusted his fingers inside her faster and kissed her frantically. She gripped onto his arms, her nails digging into the skin making him hiss in pleasure at the slight pain.

"Daryl-" She choked out, her voice cutting off with a moan as she threw her head back. Daryl moved his hand to the back of her head to stop it from hitting the ground.

Her hips writhed as he began to rub her clit with his thumb. She whined, her breathing becoming erratic as he quickened the pace of his fingers.

"So beautiful." He mumbled under his breath, his eyes locked onto her face as she moaned his name.

Rhiannon felt her cheeks flush from his words, she would never get used to the way he admired her. It made her feel special that _she_ had caught the attention of the big bad Daryl Dixon. She arched her back slightly and her toes began to curl as she felt herself about to be thrown over the edge.

Daryl suddenly stopped and pulled his hand away, making her groan and grip onto his arms tightly in protest. He smirked at her eagerness, feeling a manly pride only she could give him.

He pulled his jeans down and pressed his lips to hers roughly, moaning against each other as he pushed himself inside her.

Rhiannon held onto him tightly, her fingers curling into his shaggy hair as he moved inside her roughly, every thrust of his hips causing a gasp to leave her lips. Daryl moved his head to the crook of her neck to muffle his grunts and groans as he placed sloppy kisses to her skin.

She couldn't help but smile as he took her roughly. After being manhandled by the prisoner, it felt freeing to be with Daryl this way, to willingly give him pleasure. He healed her in more ways than one, like he always did.

"Ugh, fuck, Rhiannon." He moaned, squeezing his eyes shut as she ground her hips against his.

Rhiannon sighed in response and clutched onto his strong shoulders tightly. Hearing him moan her name so desperately sent a shiver down her spine. Daryl brought his head up and his dark blue eyes met hers, the intensity in his gaze making her insides clench.

"You're mine." He growled, looking at her intently.

She could only nod in response, not trusting her voice at the moment. Daryl leaned down and crushed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. He grabbed her left thigh and hiked up higher over his waist, making him hit into her even deeper.

They both shuddered and clutched onto the other tightly at the feeling. They panted in unison, both feeling close to the end. The dangers of the day only fueled their desire and their desperation for each other.

She whispered his name making his thrusts falter. He pounded into her rapidly and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt those familiar pinpricks starting in the base of his spine.

Rhiannon bit his shoulder to muffle what would have been a loud cry as she reached her peak, her nails dragging down his back. Daryl's lips parted with a sigh of pain which quickly turned into a loud grunt as he followed her seconds later, his body trembling against hers as his movements became jerky and erratic.

She shivered in his arms as his thrusts slowed to a stop. They both breathed loudly, their tight grip on the other never ceasing as they fought to get back their bearings.

Daryl leaned his forehead against hers, looking down at her in amazement. She smiled and moved her hand to caress the side of his face, her fingers brushing against the stubble on his jaw.

"I love you." She whispered, the words sounding so foreign on her tongue, but yet it felt so right to say it to him. Daryl's eyes widened slightly, like he still couldn't believe she meant it, like it was a surprise to him to hear how much he meant to her.

"Love you too." He whispered back, his face going pink as he blushed at his own words. The words were _definitely_ foreign to him, but no part of him regretted saying them. He loved Rhiannon and admitting it was slowly getting less terrifying every day.

Once they finally recovered, they slowly put their clothes back in place. Rhiannon looked down at the courtyard below and had to bite back a laugh. She never would of thought she and Daryl would have sex in front of a bunch of dead corpses, that certainly hadn't been what she'd expected when he came up to find her.

Daryl reached his hand out and helped her to her feet. She looked up at him with a smirk when she noticed his shy expression.

"Sorry for goin' crazy on you. Wasn't why I came up here." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I know, but I'm glad you did."

She leaned up on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, making him lean forward in wanting to keep the kiss going as she pulled away. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest.

"You sure you're ok?" He asked her again. She nodded and looked up at him.

"I'm ok." She reassured him. She knew it was more than likely that she'd have a nightmare about Shane or Tomas tonight, but that wasn't really out of the blue. Everyone in the group had nightmares time and again, it was the price of living in this world.

Daryl was still somewhat reluctant to believe her or let the issue go, but he wasn't going to push her. God knows he hated it when people pushed him, he wasn't about to do the same to her.

Rhiannon smiled and looked up at him playfully. He furrowed his brow and looked back at her, raising a brow in question.

"What?"

"You said you love me." She said dreamily. Daryl rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but crack a smirk.

"You said it too." He countered lamely.

"I did." She face suddenly turned more serious and she sighed happily. "Thank you for today. You always know what to say."

Daryl scoffed slightly and looked down at her in amusement. Rhiannon looked at him in slight confusion, wondering why he'd laughed.

"You ever think that'd be a way to describe me?"

Rhiannon let out a laugh, making him smile at the sound.

"No, definitely not at the farm, but you've changed since then."

"Thank fuck for that." He mumbled and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Come on, you should go back with your sisters, they're worried 'bout you."

Rhiannon nodded, a sigh leaving her lips when she realized it was time to get back into the real world. Daryl placed his hand on her lower back as they walked back into the cell block. She was suddenly nervous, feeling worried that her sisters would resent her for leaving.

It was the worst day of their lives and it seemed Rhiannon couldn't get away fast enough. Daryl sensed her discomfort and squeezed her hip, leaning down to place his lips next to her ear.

"You're fine, darlin'. They ain't mad." He whispered.

Rhiannon nodded, though she was sure she wouldn't be convinced until she saw her family. They slowly walked into the cell block and she began to wring her hands together as they made their way to her father's cell.

Rhiannon hesitated in the doorway, relieved to see her father was still asleep and hadn't noticed she was gone. Maggie and Beth looked up and they both smiled at seeing her, making her relax instantly.

Rhiannon looked back at Daryl before stepping in, giving him a small smile. He felt a blush on his cheeks at the look she was giving him, suddenly feeling shy.

"Go on." He urged her gently. "I'll bring you guys some dinner." He told them, surprising the other two sisters at his generosity, something they'd only seen him give Rhiannon.

Rhiannon squeezed his hand one last time before he left the family alone. She sighed and slowly stepped towards them, sitting on the edge of her father's bed, her eyes watching him to make sure she didn't disturb him.

Beth reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"You ok?" She asked quietly.

Rhiannon nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"We heard about the prisoners." Maggie spoke up reluctantly as if wondering that Rhiannon wasn't telling the truth about being ok and hoping she would come clean once she knew they heard what had happened to her.

Rhiannon tensed in response and sighed deeply.

"It's taken care of." She replied vaguely. Both Maggie and Beth stared at her unconvinced. "I'm fine, I promise, he barely touched me." She reassured them.

Maggie nodded and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Good."

"You're lucky to have Daryl." Beth spoke up, immediately turning the tense air around them more playful. Rhiannon groaned and nudged her lightly.

Maggie snorted and ran her hands through Rhiannon messy hair.

"You might wanna fix this before anyone notices." She chided her older sister who blushed and batted her hands away to smooth down her hair.

Minutes later, Daryl came back in the cell, holding bowls of food for them. Beth looked at Rhiannon, trying to hold back her laughter at the poor man who was oblivious to their teasing.

"Thanks." Rhiannon told him. Daryl nodded and smiled shyly, his fingers grazing against her arm as he passed and left the cell with one last lingering look at her.

Rhiannon felt butterflies in her stomach and turned her attention back to her father. She reached for his hand and brushed her fingers over his knuckles.

"He's gonna wake up, right?" Beth asked nervously, worried his first bout of consciousness earlier was a fluke. He had woken but it didn't mean he was completely out of the woods.

"Yeah, he's gonna be fine." Rhiannon told her, a small smile on her face. "We're all gonna be fine."

* * *

 **This story is officially one year old! I'm so happy with how far we've made it and I'm so excited for what's to come.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews, you guys are the reason this story had lasted a year and will keep going on.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter xx**


	40. Chapter 40

Rhiannon yawned as she slowly put her boots on. She sat on the edge of the small bunk and felt as if she was about to keel over. She blinked slowly and stretched her sore muscles, wincing at the ache in her back.

She'd had a restless night, something she'd known was coming but wasn't any more prepared for. She felt bad for Daryl who had to deal with her tossing and turning all night, but she knew he understood.

He sat next to her on the bed, lazily tying his boots. She looked over at him and smiled lightly, thinking he looked so cute with his sleepy expression.

"Sorry." She muttered, knowing it was her fault he got no sleep.

Daryl just shook his head, his lips quirking up slightly, and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Come on." He said, grabbing her hand to hoist her up.

Rhiannon groaned and fell forward into his chest. Daryl chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't wanna." She mumbled childishly.

"You wanna live with walkers at your feet?"

"No."

"Then we gotta move 'em. I ain't doin' all the dirty work, princess." Daryl teased her sarcastically. Rhiannon looked up at him, a small smile growing as he stared down at her playfully.

"We can sneak in a nap after lunch." He bribed her with a smirk, only half joking. He certainly wouldn't say no to one.

Rhiannon smiled widely, already counting down the minutes until they could sneak off. She strapped her weapon across her back and followed Daryl down the stairs to meet everyone outside in the courtyard.

The early morning sun was already warming her bare arms, which meant it would be hot as hell by the late afternoon. _Great,_ she thought to herself sarcastically, already feeling herself begin to sweat. She was thanking whatever god there was that she tanned rather than burned.

"Mornin'." Rick greeted the couple, smiling at their tired expressions. "You good?" He asked, looking at Rhiannon thoughtfully.

Her smile faded and she nodded lightly, averting her eyes from his.

"Look, after what happened yesterday, I'm gonna make sure those prisoners don't come anywhere near us." He told her sincerely.

"Rick, it's ok, really. Tomas was the problem and it's dealt with." She said, though Rick didn't look convinced. "I'm fine, I promise." She assured him, placing her hand on his arm.

Rick sighed, giving her a small smile. It was comforting to see her headstrong again after yesterday. It made him feel better knowing she was bouncing back after the shitshow that happened.

"Ok, listen up." Rick called out to the rest of the group, gathering in a circle. "By the end of the day, we'll have this place cleared out, lookin' like a real home. First things first, we get the cars brought in, don't wanna be attractin' any attention."

The rest of them nodded, satisfied with the plan and excited to get the prison in order. They'd been living in filth for a long time and it was hopeful to think of living comfortably.

"Rhiannon," Lori called out to her from the open prison door, stopping her from leaving with the others. She turned to face the pregnant woman with a raised brow. "Your dad wants to talk to you."

Rhiannon suddenly felt nervous, like she was a child who got caught stealing from the cookie jar and was about to get scolded. She knew it was strange to be weary to talk to her father, but she couldn't ignore the harbouring guilt that she'd left him while he was comatose. She couldn't help but worry that he resented her for it.

Daryl sensed her hesitation and reached over to take her hand in his reassuringly.

"Go, we got this." He told her softly. She nodded slowly, feeling relieved that if her fears were to be true, she'd have Daryl to fall back on.

She gave him a light smile and slowly made her way back to the building where Lori was waiting for her. The mother smiled at Rhiannon as she approached, her eyes shifting over to the hunter that watched her go.

"He's not angry." Lori immediately told her, seeing the worry on her face clear as day.

Rhiannon sighed and let out a light laugh, realizing how ridiculous she was being.

"So...how's it going with you two?" Lori asked, looking back at Daryl over her shoulder as the two women stepped inside the prison.

"It's good." Rhiannon said vaguely. She didn't want to talk about her relationship, both for her sake and Daryl's. She knew he liked his privacy and she wasn't one to go bragging to others about how amazing her boyfriend was.

It felt rude to talk about how caring Daryl was when Lori was convinced her own husband hated her. It was like rubbing salt into the wound, there was no way Rhiannon would gush about Daryl to her without feeling like a terrible person.

"Good? That's it? You two are attached at the hip. From where I stand, it looks better than good." Lori laughed, easing Rhiannon's worried only slightly.

"We're really good." She said jokingly, refusing to elaborate.

Lori laughed and rolled her eyes. "I know what you're doing and you don't have to worry, I'm not about to burst into tears or fly off in a jealous rage." She said and Rhiannon averted her eyes, feeling caught. "It's just so strange to see him like this. Back in the early days, I never would've pictured him as the boyfriend type."

"I didn't even think that at the farm. Took weeks to break through that shell."

"But it was worth it?" The mother asked, causing a smile to slowly spread on the younger woman's face.

"Definitely." Was all the Rhiannon said, thinking back to yesterday and how sweet he'd been. It was amusing to see Daryl, who could look like the meanest son of a bitch around, turn into such a caring and loving person, at least when it came to her. She doubted he'd be putting out that treatment for anyone else.

Rhiannon stopped in her tracks just outside of her father's cell and stared at it hesitantly, all her worries coming back in full force.

Lori placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "He just wants to talk, you barely saw him yesterday." She reassured her before leaving to give the father and daughter some space.

Rhiannon exhaled deeply and slowly stepped into her father's cell. She couldn't help but smile at seeing him awake and sitting up in bed. It was daunting to see him the way he'd been the day before, it wasn't how any child wanted to see their father.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked quietly, catching his attention from the book he was reading. He chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement.

"I'm your father, not your principal." He told her with a smile. He patted the space next to him and she slowly stepped forward, sitting down next to him on the small bunk.

"How do you feel?" She asked, her voice still sounding somewhat nervous.

"As good as expected." He answered, not entirely sure how to convey what it felt like to look down and see only one foot. It felt like the missing one was still there. Rhiannon nodded, her tortured expression locked onto the stump wrapped in gauze.

Hershel sighed and looked at her worriedly. "I'm ok." He assures her. "I'm more worried about you."

"You're the one who got their foot cut off." Rhiannon said in disbelief. Her troubles seemed so minimal compared to his, she certainly didn't think they mattered now.

"I did, but I heard you haven't been taking it well."

Rhiannon resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You want me to be ok with this?"

"Yes, I'm alive and that's what matters. I want you to be strong, the way you usually are." Hershel told her sincerely.

Rhiannon stayed silent, her guilt consuming every part of her. Her father thought she was strong, it hurt to think that she'd disappointed him, that she'd proved him wrong. Hershel knew her silence meant she didn't believe him and he sighed deeply, reaching over to place his hand over hers.

"For as long as I can remember, you've been the ring leader of this family."

Rhiannon looked over at him, her face creased in confusion, obviously disagreeing with his words.

"Now, you did lose your way there in the middle, but even when you weren't with us, we never lost your presence." He said softly. "When you were younger you always wanted to help your little sisters, you wanted to be the one that took care of them and no matter how far you were or how long it had been since we last saw you, that never went away. When Maggie had her heart broken by that stupid high school boy, you talked to her on the phone for hours and I finally got to see her smile again."

Rhiannon felt something inside her flutter. She didn't think much of the things she'd done, she never realized how much her family had really cared. She figured they'd just be mad at her for being away.

"When Beth broke her arm, you sent flowers and I don't think I've ever seen her so excited before." Hershel laughed lightly, smiling at his eldest daughter who looked down at her feet.

"I should have been there." Rhiannon said, her voice laced with self doubt.

Hershel looked at his daughter with a frown. He knew her actually being present with the family versus an hour long phone call every few months was a big difference, but those phone calls were the only thing he had to hold on to for so long and he cherished every single one of them.

He knew she resented herself for the lack of communication, but to Hershel, for so long he had to force himself into believing that those phone calls meant so much because it was all he had of her.

"You were still there for them, doesn't matter how." He assured her.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked quietly.

"Because you need to remember your place in this family. I won't be here forever-"

"Dad, don't, please." She interrupted, not wanting to hear his speech to prepare herself for his death. It wasn't what a child wanted to hear from their parent.

"It's true." He said, urging her softly. "When I'm gone, your sisters need you. The real you. The stubborn, strong willed woman they've known all their lives. You can't be running off again."

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly to force the tears the stung her eyes not to fall.

"I'm sorry." She whispered making Hershel squeezed her hand tightly. He looked at her sadly, hating that, once again, this world had let her down. It wasn't an unusual thing nowadays, but it seemed like she was taking the brunt of it more than anyone.

"I know you are." He stated simply. "It's easy to walk away from the things that hurt you, but that's not like you. You never do things the easy way." He said jokingly, a small smile on his face.

Rhiannon laughed softly, thankful that he hadn't reamed her out for leaving when her sisters needed her.

"You're a strong woman, stop trying to hide it."

Rhiannon leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her father who smiled in relief and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." She said quietly.

She pulled back and breathed heavily. She was exhausted from her restless sleep and the deep, emotional conversation wasn't helping, they were always so draining, but she was more than grateful for it.

"You should get out there, you got a job to do." He reminded her, finally making her stand from his bunk.

She hesitated before leaving, turning to face him again. "Thank you." She told him again and leaned down, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Be careful out there, baby girl." He said, smiling at the delighted look on her face at hearing his usual term of endearment for her.

Rhiannon had a smile on her face as she walked out of the cell and felt a thousand times lighter than she did this morning. She stepped into the common area where Lori was sat eating a breakfast bar, one of the last they had.

"You look happy." Lori said, sounding relieved as the young woman took a seat next to her.

Rhiannon nodded, biting her lip to keep from looking like a happy idiot. They _were_ still living in a prison during the end of the world, it seemed strange to look so happy.

"That smile looks good on you." The mother said, giggling quietly to herself as Rhiannon blushed and gave her an impatient look, silently begging her to stop teasing her.

"Enough about me, I feel like that's all we talk about."

"You do seem to attract a lot of drama." Lori pointed out playfully.

"Yeah, story of my life." Rhiannon mumbled. "How are you feeling? It's getting close." She smiled, rubbing her hand over her large belly.

"Not close enough. I can't wait for this to be over."

"Are you scared?" She asked quietly.

"I _have_ done this before." Lori joked, but her smile was plastic and Rhiannon could see the fear in her eyes clear as day. "The first time I did this I had Rick by my side every step of the way. I don't know if I can do it without him."

"You can and you won't be alone. Rick may need some more time to work things out but you still have all of us."

Lori reached over and grabbed Rhiannon's hand, her high strung hormones causing tears to spring to her eyes at the woman's sentiment. "Thank you, for everything you've done." She said softly.

Rhiannon nodded, an awkward smile on her face. She still felt like she had a little ways to go before she could see Lori as family the way she saw Carol. She liked the mother, but she couldn't forget how she'd acted in the beginning of their time on the road. She felt like their friendship was mostly built on pity and she wanted to change that.

Slowly, but surely, she would.

"You should get out there." Lori said, noticing the apprehension on Rhiannon's face at her compliment.

The younger woman nodded silently, a shy smile on her face as she stood from her place next to her.

"I'll see you later." She called out over her shoulder as she made her way out of the prison.

Rhiannon breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out into the sun. She had a content smile on her face as she walked down to the field, feeling like a different person to the one she was when she woke up this morning.

She looked up and smirked when the door to the guard tower opened and Glenn and Maggie stepped out, both of them rearranging their shirts that were hastily put on.

"Got caught, huh?" She teased them, making them snap their gazes towards her, a blush on both their cheeks.

Rhiannon had felt slighted when she heard Maggie and Glenn were taking the guard tower for the night. She was kicking herself for not thinking of it first. She knew Daryl would've appreciated the privacy.

"Shut up." Maggie mumbled pleadingly.

The three of them walked out to the field and the joking smiles they had fell at the sight of the two remaining prisoners standing in front of them.

Rhiannon's eyes widened, an immediate stab of fear coursing through her before she could remind herself that they weren't the ones who touched her. She looked past them and met Daryl's eyes, his hardened gaze moving from the prisoners to her, conveying just how little he wanted her out here with them.

"You should be burning those bodies." T-Dog told them.

"We tried, but the fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things line up."

"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew." The smaller prisoner said and he turned to face Rhiannon. "You saw it, you know we weren't apart of that." He pleaded with her.

Rhiannon shifted under his gaze and took a step towards Maggie who looked at the prisoners sternly, unconvinced that they had no part in how her sister got hurt.

Daryl was immediately moving forward the second Axel turned his attention to Rhiannon and Rick followed closely, making sure the hunter wouldn't lash out on the already scared man.

"We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group, but _please_ , don't make us live in that place."

Rhiannon felt bad for the men. She didn't want them near her, that was for sure, but the way he pleaded made her feel sympathetic of them, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

She looked up at Daryl as he passed the prisoner, barely missing bumping him with his shoulder, and made his way to stand next to her, not wanting to not be by her side when they were around, he wasn't taking any more chances.

"Our deal is non negotiable. You either live in your cell block, or you leave." Rick told them sternly.

Rhiannon sighed and averted her gaze to the ground as Oscar tried to change his mind. She knew it was useless, the harsh glare on Daryl's face was clear enough to her that they wouldn't be joining the group anytime soon.

"I'm sorry, this is the way it's gonna be." Rick told them simply and motioned with his head for them to get back inside the prison.

Rhiannon tensed as they passed her but she couldn't help but feel guilty as she watched them walk away with their heads down in failure. Daryl followed after the men to lock the gate behind them, giving her a brief glance as he left.

She sighed heavily and looked to Maggie who looked just as unsettled as she did. Together, they walked down to the field where T-Dog was talking to Rick, who looked at the man in disbelief.

"We bring them in, we have more people to help keep this place standin'. We send them off, we may as well be killing them ourselves." T-Dog argued softly.

"I don't know, Axel seems a little unstable." Glenn interjected.

"And we aren't?" Rhiannon spoke up. "None of us are exactly a good image of mental health."

"So you think they should stay?" Rick asked her, his brows raising in surprise.

"Well...not really." She said quietly. "I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable with them walking around, but it feels wrong to send them away."

"After all we've been through, we've fought so hard for this place, what if they decide to take it?" Carol asked.

"They don't exactly seem like the revolutionary type." Rhiannon argued, looking up at them from across the yard as they sulked back to their cell block.

"Why they fuck are you defending them after what they did?" Daryl asked her sharply, his arms crossed over his chest.

"They didn't do anything to me!" She yelled back, feeling her patience slipping.

"Whether or not it was them that touched you, it doesn't matter. They're convicts, bottom line." Carol said, trying to get her input in to diffuse the fire between the stubborn couple before it got out of hand.

"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do."

Rhiannon felt her chest tighten at T-Dog's words. She went stiff as a board and let out a deep breath. She knew he was just trying to plead their case, but she couldn't help but feel like she was being inadvertently called out.

"I could'a been in there with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys."

Rhiannon had tuned out slightly as her mind raced with images of the man she'd killed, but Daryl's words had sucked her back into reality. She looked up at him thoughtfully, knowing he was ashamed of his past with Merle, but from what he'd told her of his life before, Rhiannon doubted he was the jail type.

It was more his brother's thing and she hated that he still stuck himself with the likes of him.

"So you're with me?"

"Hell, no." Daryl spat, his gaze moving over to Rhiannon. He would never trust those men with her and their safety wasn't worth a damn compared to hers. "Let 'em take their chances out on the road just like we did."

Rick stepped in before T-Dog could argue and as he told his story, Rhiannon couldn't help but think back to what was said before, about the blood on their hands.

 _We should just tell the prisoners what we did on the road, they sure as hell wouldn't wanna be part of the group then. Problem solved,_ she thought to herself bitterly.

"Our deal with them stands." Rick said with finality, ending the conversation and walking away.

Rhiannon sent T-Dog a weak smile, knowing he wasn't being listened to, and they all began to follow after their leader.

"Let's move the cars to the upper yard." Rick instructed, happy to be changing the subject. "Point 'em facing out. They'll be out of the way but ready to go if we ever need to bail."

Rhiannon nodded, a feeling of unease creeping in. She hoped they wouldn't have to leave in a haste like he was implying. She still wasn't totally comfortable staying in the prison, but she loved the walls and the fences and she knew she'd get used to it eventually. Being on the run wasn't an option for her, not again.

Daryl let out a low groan from beside her, noticing the prisoners standing by the gates where the cars were. He turned to her, his face drawn in a scowl.

"You seriously want those assholes stayin' with us?" He asked coldly.

"No, that's not what I want. I don't think I'd ever sleep knowing they were around. I just don't like the idea of sending them on a death march either."

Daryl's gaze softened, finally able to relax at realizing she wasn't defending them. He placed himself in front of her, stopping her in her tracks, and reached out to link his fingers with hers subtly.

"I ain't riskin' it. You're more important than them." He told her softly. "Sendin' them out, if that's what it takes to keep you safe, I'm doin' it, no question."

Rhiannon sighed and placed her hand on his cheek, a warmth spreading through her at his fierce protectiveness. She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

He pulled away quickly, not willing to show any affection in front of the others, especially the prisoners who he knew were watching. She gave him a shy smile, not taking it personally that he'd pulled away, she'd been expecting it.

Rhiannon smirked at the blush on his cheeks and stepped back, walking to her car with a spring in her step.

Daryl watched her go with a hint of a smile on his face, thankful that she could calm him down without even trying. His scowl returned full force as he turned his attention back to the prisoners who stood next to his bike.

He didn't like that they'd clearly seen him and Rhiannon together, but a part of him swelled with pride as if he'd marked her as his, telling them not to try anything because she was _his._

In the car, Rhiannon looked over in surprise as Maggie climbed into the passenger seat.

"You're not riding with Glenn?"

Maggie scoffed. "I spent the whole night with him, need a break." She joked, making them both laugh.

"So were you the one who gossiped to dad?" Rhiannon asked with a sly smile, giving her a side eyed glance as she drove up the gravel path to the courtyard.

"We were worried about you." Maggie defended herself quietly, feeling slightly guilty.

"I'm not mad at you." Rhiannon quickly told her, sensing the tone in her voice. "I'm pretty grateful actually, I feel a thousand times better just letting it all out. Being mature actually helps, who knew?" She scoffed sarcastically.

Maggie looked over at her big sister with a smile on her face.

"So you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. Yesterday was just…"

"I get it." Maggie interjected, not wanting her to relieve everything she'd been through. "You were right, we all deal with things differently. No one's judging you for needing some space."

Rhiannon sighed deeply, leaning her head back."Ok, we have to stop being so emotional, it's exhausting." She said.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Maggie argued with a laugh.

Rhiannon just rolled her eyes, a small smirk on her face as she parked her car.

"Hey," She called out before Maggie got out of the car. "I call the guard tower tonight."

Maggie laughed. "I'm pretty sure the catwalk worked just fine for you two yesterday." She teased, reveling in the blush that bloomed on Rhiannon's face.

She hastily opened the car door to leave, knowing Maggie would keep teasing her if she stayed.

"That is one tough guy." She heard T-Dog say as she got out of the car.

Rhiannon looked up and smiled widely at the scene in front of her. Her heart soared as she watched her father on his crutches. She finally felt like things were falling into place. She still had her reservations about the prison, her father getting hurt certainly added to her dislike of the place, but with it all cleared out, and seeing her father recovered and walking again, she started to think that they really were lucky to find it.

Maggie came to stand beside her, a light, delighted laugh escaping her. Rhiannon turned her head and looked at her sister, reaching for her hand, and sharing equally relieved smiles.

"It's a good day." Maggie said, looking back at Carol and T who nodded at the sisters, both relieved that their father was ok.

Hershel turned his attention from the blue sky to look over at his daughters. He sent a smile their way, happy to see that Rhiannon was better after their talk. He could tell just by the way she stood. She wasn't slouched over, closing in on herself like a shell, she was standing with her head held high, the way he'd always known her.

He didn't hear the growls behind him at first. The first thing he noticed was Rhiannon and Maggie's smiles disappearing into a look of horror.

"Walkers!" Carl yelled, immediately pulling out his gun.

"Shit." Rhiannon cursed, pulling her own gun from her waistband and running towards the crowd of walkers, hearing Maggie's heavy footsteps right behind her.

She could hear her pulse in her ear and tried desperately to not let her hands tremble from the overwhelming fear she felt. She took deep breaths that sounded more like panicked gasps, and focused as she shot walker after walker that appeared in front of her.

Her eyes darted around the courtyard frantically and she could vaguely hear Daryl's distant voice yelling for her. She never realized just how much Daryl had centered her in times like these until he wasn't there and she was left to handle it on her own.

Her gun clicked, signaling the empty chamber and she cursed loudly, swinging it into the face of the walker beside her.

"Daddy, behind you!" Beth yelled, catching Rhiannon's attention.

She grit her teeth and pushed through the crowd, dropping her gun and pulling her sword off her back as she pushed the bodies back away from her.

She sliced through the walkers that had their sights set on her father who was slowly making his way up the stairs to the catwalk. She wished she had time to be relieved when she saw him push one that was right behind him with his crutch, but the loud growls behind her made it clear to her the fight was far from over.

"Beth, use the crutch to keep the door closed." Rhiannon yelled to her. Beth nodded and with trembling hands, followed her orders, and leaned against her dad for comfort.

"Rhi, look out!"

She turned on her heels and before she could swing, she was pushed to the ground, her sword clattering to the ground as the walker snapped it's jaws just inches from her face.

From across the prison, Daryl felt his heart in his throat as he ran towards the gate. He screamed her name after seeing her fall, a walker on top of her, and felt his eyes sting with tears. This couldn't be how this was going to end, he wasn't going to watch her get torn apart, he couldn't.

His mind flashed with images of her. Her smile, the way she blushed when she caught him admiring her, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, the way she smiled in triumph whenever she got him to laugh, like it was some huge accomplishment she was so proud of.

He shook the thoughts from his mind, this wasn't a vigil for her, he wasn't going to lose her.

Rhiannon struggled with the weight on top of her, letting out a groan as she pushed her arms on its chest, but it barely budged. A loud shot rang out and blood splattered her face. She gasped as the body on top of her went limp.

She groaned as she pushed the weight off her, quickly grabbing her sword from beside her. She looked up and let out a breathless laugh when Carl rushed to her side to help her up. It was like deja vu from when they were escaping the farm.

"Are you ok?" He asked frantically. She nodded wordlessly and pushed him towards Lori who was yelling for him.

She pushed him up the stairs into the prison and closed the door behind him only after he was wrapped in his mother's arms.

"What about you?" He asked, his voice laced with fear when he noticed she was on the other side of the door.

"Just go!" She yelled, her eyes moving to Maggie who stared back at her with fearful apprehension, unwilling to go without her.

Rhiannon spared her sister one last glance, giving her a silent assurance that she'd be ok, before turning and putting herself back in the fight.

It seemed never ending, walker after walker kept coming towards her and she wondered where the hell they'd come from.

"Rhiannon, come on!" Carol yelled for her, her voice shaking with fear.

Rhiannon backed up, making her way towards Carol slowly, fighting off walkers as she moved. A loud, pain-filled scream tore through the air, making her stumble on her own feet, her head snapping over to where T-Dog was.

Her heart dropped when she noticed the blood dripping from the gash in his shoulder. She blinked back the tears in her eyes, knowing there was nothing to be done to save him. She heard Carol cry out for her again, shaking her out of her daze.

She finally ran towards the older woman, her hand reaching out for T-Dog as he stumbled towards them, his hand gripping the bite on his shoulder. The three of them stepped into the prison, slamming the door closed behind them.

Rhiannon led the way, letting Carol hoist T's arm over her shoulder to help guide him through the dark halls. She tightened her grip on weapon, paranoid about what was lurking through the prison with them.

A loud alarm blared, making her flinch and almost drop her sword. She turned in every direction, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

"What the fuck is that?" She called out angrily.

"Someone's doing this." Carol said quietly. The three of them went rigid, a tense silence following. The knowledge that an unfriendly had opened those gates and started the alarm hadn't crossed her mind yet, but now, it seemed like the only explanation and it chilled her bones.

"We gotta keep moving." T-Dog finally spoke up, his voice low and calm despite the circumstances.

She nodded silently and they continued to walk through the halls, the lights above them flickering. Every couple of seconds she look behind her, making sure T was still ok. The calm look on his face was unsettling, it was like he wasn't even aware of his fate, or if he was, he didn't seem to care.

"There's a set of double doors that'll lead to a corridor that'll get you back to the cell block." T explained.

"You should stop." Carol called out to him as he tore his arm away from her and moved forward, getting in the lead.

"I'm getting you two there!"

"T, come on, you can't-"

"Why?" He interrupted, leaning against the wall, his face creased with pain. Rhiannon swallowed thickly as she looked back at him, finally seeing the deep fear in his eyes. "I ain't gonna sit here and wait to die."

"You're not becoming one of those things, it's the pact, remember?" Carol told him, trying to stop him as he continued to walk forward purposefully.

Rhiannon trailed behind them, her attention turning back to the way they came. She cringed at their loud voices, keeping her eyes trained behind them, as if waiting for walkers to appear.

"I'm getting you two outta here." T-Dog said with conviction, looking back at Rhiannon. She nodded weakly and followed behind him slowly.

They walked in silence, Carol and Rhiannon sharing unsure gazes every few seconds. T-Dog was determined to keep moving but he began to pant heavily and his skin had broken out into a cold sweat. She could tell the fever was starting.

"You should slow down." Rhiannon said softly, placing her hand on his arm to stop him.

"No, no, I'm good. We're almost there." He told her.

Rhiannon nodded and backed off, knowing it was unlikely she was going to change his mind. She winced at the flickering lights, feeling a headache starting.

She suddenly stopped in her place, her heart beginning to race as familiar growls were heard. A group of walkers stumbled from around the corner and she tightened her grip on her weapon.

Carol raised her gun but the click as she pressed the trigger told them it was empty. Rhiannon stepped forward, her sword held in front of her.

She squinted, trying to see through the dark as the lights went off and on sporadically.

"Shit, I can't see." She cried out, her panic beginning to surface. "I gotta get closer."

"No way." T-Dog said, grabbing her by the arm to stop her.

"T, I have to-"

"No! I ain't riskin' your life, Tiny." He said softly, giving her a weak smile.

Rhiannon's face fell, realizing the melancholic tone in his voice. She knew what he was going to do.

"Don't do this-"

Carol cried out loudly, trying to hold him back, but he shrugged her off and ran forward, ignoring their screams for him. He slammed the walkers back, keeping them pinned against the wall.

"Go!" He yelled at them.

Rhiannon was frozen in her spot, Carol hanging onto her tightly as she cried. His words finally sunk in and she let out a shaking breath, forcing herself to move.

"Come on." She said, holding onto Carol's hand tightly as they ran forward.

They reached the door, but she hesitated before opening it, looking back at T-Dog regretfully. Her eyes filled with tears as he yelled at them to go, the walkers beginning to tear into him. She looked him in the eye, hoping to convey how grateful she was to him, how sorry she was that it had to end this way.

She let out a sob and turned her head, not wanting to watch as he got ripped apart. The pair burst through the door, slamming it closed behind them. They ran down the hall, both of them not even caring if it was the right direction or not, they just had to get as far away as possible.

They moved in silence for a few minutes, until Carol's small voice reached her. "Do you know the way back?" She asked, her voice weak as she tried to speak through her tears.

"No." Rhiannon answered regretfully. She hadn't been through this part of the prison before and she had no idea how to get back to the cell block.

The two women slowed their pace as if there was an unspoken agreement to stop and take a break.

"He, he didn't even-"

"I know." Rhiannon said, stopping what would've been an emotional rant. "He did it for us."

Carol placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, and buried her head on her hands, her shoulders shaking as she began to cry heavily.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, trying hard not to cry right along with her. She moved to her side and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

"We're gonna get out of here, ok? I promise. But we gotta keep moving, for him." Rhiannon told her as she cried into her shoulder.

Rhiannon let a few tears fall and held onto her tighter. They had to survive, she had to make sure his death meant something. She shuddered as she thought of her last image of him and felt a wave of nausea hit her.

"We gotta go." She told Carol quietly, pulling away from her and grabbing her hand to pull her forward with her.

Carol nodded and wiped at her tear streaked cheeks, squeezing Rhiannon's hand in hers. The women walked in silence, turning aimlessly down random hallways as they tried to find their way out.

The blaring alarm suddenly stopped, making both women sigh in relief. Within seconds, Rhiannon's shoulders tensed as she heard the unmistakable sound of walkers close by. Now that the alarm was off, she could hear them coming closer.

"Go." She whispered, pushing Carol in front of her as they ran.

Carol let out a scream as they turned the corner straight into a group of walkers. Rhiannon pulled her back to turn the way they came but the group she'd heard had caught up to them and blocked them off on both sides.

Rhiannon swung her weapon with all her strength, clearing out a path for Carol who was using her knife, but with how dark the halls were, she was only able to take down the few she was able to see.

"Carol, go!" Rhiannon yelled, swinging wildly at every walker that came towards her.

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Carol yelled back, her voice panic stricken.

"Go!" She yelled sternly. "I'll be right behind you."

Carol stared at her, her chest heaving with heavy breaths and her wide tear-filled eyes filled with fear. She cursed under her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, before making the difficult decision to run away. She hated every step she took, a sob leaving her throat as she left Rhiannon.

Rhiannon's arms were beginning to feel weak as she fought the group of walkers that surrounded her. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight them all off, not with how exhausted she was. She pushed one back, kicking her legs out to drop it to the floor, creating a gap in the crowd and started running.

She turned down the hallway and scurried into the closest cell, holding the door closed behind her.

Her panting breaths were loud in the quiet room as she waited for the walkers to pass. Minutes passed by slowly as she listened to the sounds of dragging feet passing the cell. Rhiannon placed her hand over her racing heart and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

She waited until well after it had gone silent and all she could hear was her own erratic breathing. She swallowed thickly and with shaking hands, she slowly opened the cell door, poking her head out to peer both ways.

She sighed in relief when she saw it was clear and quickly crawled out of the cell, jogging back to where she'd left Carol, careful to keep her footsteps light so she didn't draw the walkers back in her direction.

"Carol?" She called out softly, stepping over the bodies she'd taken down.

She made her way down the hall she'd seen Carol retreat to and she called out for her again. Hearing no answer, her nerves began to spike again.

"Carol!" She yelled, suddenly not caring about how loud she was being, she only cared about finding the woman.

Rhiannon ran down every hallway she could find, backtracking and going in circles as she called out for the older woman. She leaned against the wall and placed her hands on her knees as she leaned over to catch her breath, tears starting to sting her eyes.

Rhiannon looked up at the darkness around her and exhaled shakily. She felt like this was all a nightmare, that every terrible thing that happened was only her mind playing a cruel joke on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her cries as her fear took over any rational thought.

She was where she never wanted to be, stuck in the middle of the prison, all alone.

* * *

 **So of course this dreaded chapter had to happen.**

 **But on a lighter note, we've made it to chapter 40! Thank you to all the readers and reviewers, you're the reason we've made it this far!**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter! xx**


	41. Chapter 41

Daryl tried his hardest not to lash out at the four men beside him. It wasn't Rick or Glenn's fault that they hadn't found Rhiannon or Carol yet, but his anger had to go somewhere and those men had the unfortunate luck to be with him as he spiralled.

He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't either of the prisoners' fault, no matter how much he wanted to lash out at them just to have someone to blame and take his anger out on.

The image of T-Dog's devoured body had struck a kind of fear in him that was becoming all too familiar. He had been scared for his girl's life too many times and it made guilt bubble inside him.

His stomach twisted thinking about who they'd lost and he could tell Rick and Glenn were just as upset, they had been unusually quiet since they'd found him.

"They had to have come through here." Glenn said, breaking the tense silence that surrounded them, his voice low, giving away just how emotionally drained he was.

Daryl didn't respond. He knew they had to have been in there somewhere, but they hadn't found either of the women yet and he had to force away the horrible thoughts that rose with his fear.

The sound of shuffling feet from around the corner made the group of men tense. Daryl felt sick to his stomach as four walkers stumbled into the hallway, their growls getting louder when they spotted them.

He tried not to think about these monsters roaming around where Rhiannon should have been. He fired an arrow at one of them, letting Rick, Glenn and the prisoners take out the others with their machetes while he stood back and glared at the dead bodies fiercely.

Rick looked back at him wearily, hesitant to engage him in any way while he had that cold scowl on his face. He'd known Daryl long enough to know that he shouldn't try and comfort him in any way.

Glenn on the other hand, was just as high strung as the hunter was. They both were separated from the women they loved and he knew how close he felt to losing it.

"That doesn't mean anything." Glenn told him assuringly, seeing the fear on his face he tried to conceal.

"I know it don't." Daryl replied sharply, giving him a stern glare and stomping off down the hall, the others following quickly, not trusting him not to do something stupid while he was acting so erratic.

Daryl knew Rhiannon could handle herself against four walkers, she'd taken down more than that at one time. But the fact that those four walkers had still been up and moving and Rhiannon was nowhere to be found was unsettling and he tried not to jump to conclusions, but his mind wasn't exactly in the best, rational state at the moment.

The sight of her with that walker on top of her was enough to send him careening to a full blown fit, but thankfully Carl was there to help, something he didn't think he'd ever say in this context. As soon as he'd made it into the courtyard and found her gone, his heart dropped to his feet, and he'd practically begged Beth to tell him where she was.

He desperately hoped seeing her trapped under that walker wouldn't be his last memory of her.

Daryl walked purposefully through the maze of hallways, his jaw clenching tighter with each passing second that he didn't see her.

Rick and Glenn walked behind him, sharing looks of worry. They didn't want to think about what would happen if Rhiannon wasn't ok or if they didn't find her. They didn't want to picture how the hunter would react.

Rick stopped, letting out a low whistle to signal to them to stop. He pointed behind him, hearing the soft sound of footsteps from one of the halls they'd passed. Daryl raised his bow, ready to take down any walker that came for them with a vengeance.

Rick pressed himself against the wall and raised his gun. He counted down with his fingers silently, and rushed around the corner, aiming his gun at the body in front of him, Glenn and Daryl following him and aiming their weapons at what they thought was a walker.

Rick startled and jumped back in surprise at the sound of a scared shout. His breath left him in a gasp and he held his hands out, steadying the small blonde he'd almost attacked.

Rhiannon flinched and raised her sword, ready to strike, when she heard his voice. The gruff way Daryl said her name that never failed to put butterflies in her stomach was like a beacon of hope. She dropped her sword and stared back at the men in front of her with wide eyes.

Her lip quivered and within a second, Daryl had pushed past Rick and scooped her up into his arms, her legs winding around his waist as he held her tightly. His breathing was heavy as he tried desperately to hold back his emotions.

"Scared the shit outta me, girl." He mumbled against her hair, his hand holding the back of her head.

Rhiannon sniffled and buried her face in his neck, feeling like her nightmare had finally come to an end.

"You ok?" He asked, pulling away to look at her face. She nodded wordlessly, feeling too overwhelmed to find words.

He let her down to her feet, but his hands didn't stray from her waist. He needed to be close to her, he needed to touch her to keep him anchored to reality, and he was just too selfish to let her go.

Rick stepped towards her, his expression creased with concern and regret that he'd almost shot her.

"I'm sorry." He breathed out, pulling her into a hug only after Daryl had reluctantly let her go, with a look of disdain on his face.

Rhiannon laughed quietly, shaking her head. "It's ok, I'm ok." She assured him.

"Where's Carol?"

Rhiannon stiffened at his question and looked up at him with shock, feeling her stomach twist. "You didn't find her?"

Rick's face creased in confusion and fear and he shook his head. "We thought she was with you."

"There were walkers everywhere, we got separated, I told her to go. I-I don't know where-"

Daryl was by her side in an instant, pulling her into him again when he noticed the tremble in her voice, a sign that she was beginning to panic.

"I left her." Rhiannon gasped, tears beginning to fall.

"Hey, stop." Daryl said quietly, recognizing the guilt in her voice.

"It sounds like you didn't have a choice." Rick interjected, looking at her sadly. "We haven't passed her so she must be on her way back to the cell block or she's back in the courtyard."

 _Or she was taken down by walkers,_ Rhiannon thought bitterly, not able to say the words out loud.

"I've been calling for her... she hasn't answered." She told them.

Rick looked down at his shoes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in her words and what that meant for Carol's fate. He sighed deeply, regretful of another friend they'd lost. Glenn squeezed his eyes shut and and leaned against the wall, his slumped posture showing how tired he was.

Rhiannon sniffled, unwilling to accept that Carol was gone, that the woman she saw as a mother figure was dead. She couldn't accept it, not now, not when she was just seconds from breaking down.

She looked at Daryl who stood in an eerie silence, his jaw clenched tightly as he stared at the ground. She knew it was hitting him hard, that he was just as close to the woman as she was and he was taking it just as bad.

"We gotta find the others." Glenn said softly, reminding them of who was still missing and that they had to keep moving.

"Let's go." Rick said, his voice low, they barely even heard him.

Rhiannon looked to the prisoners wearily as they began to make their way out of the prison to get back to the courtyard. She didn't know why they were with them, considering how cold Rick had been towards them.

Daryl kept himself at her side, his hand holding hers tightly, and for once he wasn't worried about the others looking at him and his display of affection, he didn't care, he just needed to be near her.

She looked over at him, her gaze filled with worry. She knew he wasn't going to be ok after losing Carol, she doubted she would either, but Daryl, he would blame himself like he always did and take it to heart.

She just hoped he wouldn't close up and brush her off when she tried to help him with his grief. It would be a very 'Daryl' thing to do and she knew it was pretty much inevitable, but fuck, was she hoping he'd be ok. She just hoped he wasn't blaming her for leaving Carol. She didn't think she would be able to handle it if he did.

He refused to look over at her, though he could feel her gaze on him. He didn't want to face the reality of losses they'd had, not now while there was still work to be done. He couldn't afford to grieve now.

He pulled his hand away from hers as they stepped out into the courtyard, holding his bow up incase there were any more walkers that had come in, despite knowing that they'd closed the gate. He still had his paranoia and he wasn't taking any chances.

Rhiannon ran to where her father and Beth were still cooped up and at seeing her running towards them, Beth shakily moved the crutch and opened the door, falling into her big sister's embrace.

"You ok?" Rhiannon whispered and Beth nodded against her shoulder, still overwhelmed with fear at what had happened

"You didn't find them?" Hershel asked, his eyes locked on Rhiannon as he anxiously waited for Beth to let go so he could hug her.

"We thought maybe they came back out here." Glenn said, his voice laced with the panic that rose higher each second he was without Maggie.

Beth pulled away from Rhiannon, her eyes widening when she realized Maggie was still missing. Rhiannon looked down, avoiding her questioning gaze, she couldn't face Beth's fear, she refused to believe she'd lose her sister today.

"What about T and Carol?"

"They didn't make it." Daryl said gruffly.

Hershel frowned at Rhiannon who stared down at her feet, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying. He reached for her, pulling her into his arms and she melted into his embrace, letting a few tears fall as she hugged him.

Daryl watched her with a tortured expression, longing to reach out to her, but he doubted he could do that without crumbling himself, and he couldn't let that happen.

"The others are still in there, we're going back." Rick ordered, refusing to acknowledge what everyone was thinking. "Daryl, Rhi, and Glenn, you come with-"

Rhiannon's head snapped up at the sound of a cry which cut off Rick's words. She narrowed her gaze at the figures that were stepping out of the prison slowly, shielding her eyes from the sun to see who it was.

Her lips parted and a shaking breath left her as she watched Maggie and Carl step towards them. Her heart beat faster at the sight of the baby cradled in Maggie's arms, the blood on her hands a stark contrast to her skin which was unusually pale.

Her gaze moved behind them, waiting for the final member of their group to reveal themselves, but she never did. One look at Maggie's watering eyes and Carl's cold stare told Rhiannon all she needed to know.

She turned back to Rick with wide eyes, feeling her heart break at the devastation she saw on his face.

"Where is she?" Rick asked, his voice breaking as he stepped towards Maggie.

Rhiannon had to look away. She pressed a hand over her mouth as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Lori had been so scared about giving birth and to know that she died with her greatest fear was chilling.

She swallowed thickly and kept her eyes averted as Rick crumbled to the ground, a loud cry escaping for his wife he never got to apologize to.

A hand slithered up her back, to her shoulder and she turned her head slightly, her watering eyes meeting Daryl who looked down at her with a pained expression. The hunter couldn't help but put himself in Rick's shoes, knowing he was going through the worst thing imaginable.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist, turning her so her back was to the awful scene in front of them. He leaned his cheek against her head, holding her as her body shook with each quiet sob she let out.

He knew Rhiannon had been persistent to bring Lori back into the group, to ease her mind and be a friend for her. It amazed Daryl that she could be civil to the woman after what she'd put the both of them through during the winter.

He wasn't overly fond of Lori, but he saw that she tried, that she wanted to make things better and it pained him that she never would. He couldn't help but think about what would've happened if Rhiannon hadn't made it back from the bar all those months ago after he'd lashed out at her, if he never got to make it up to her, and it sent a pain through his chest just thinking about it.

He didn't even want to think about what Rick was going through. He closed his eyes and focused on her, the way her hands gripped his shirt tightly, the way her hair felt against his face. All of it served to keep him stable when all he wanted was to yell and break shit in anger at the day they'd suffered.

Rhiannon tightened her grip on Daryl, thankful that he was holding her because she felt like she couldn't keep herself standing for much longer.

She forced her eyes open, seeing Lori's face when she'd had them closed. Something inside her was deeply shaken knowing her last conversation with the woman was spent hoping for more time to make things right with her, time they'd never have.

"I gotta check on him." Daryl said quietly, snapping her out of her dark thoughts.

She nodded, releasing her grip on him, and watched as he stepped cautiously towards Rick who had a spacy look on his face as he swayed slightly on his knees.

She swallowed thickly and stepped towards Maggie, placing a hand on the small of her back to steady her trembling form as she passed the baby to Carl. Rhiannon looked down at the baby briefly, but felt her chest tighten as she did and had to look away.

Maggie turned to her, her eyes filled with tears. Her lip quivered and a helpless sounding sob escaped her lips. With no hesitation, Rhiannon pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly and stroking her hair like their mother always used to do for them.

"I had to do it." She cried softly.

Rhiannon went stiff and squeezed her eyes shut, her grip on her sister tightening. She couldn't imagine what she had to go through, how she had to end it for the poor woman.

"We got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl asked, his voice bringing back from her dark thoughts.

The sisters pulled away from each other and walked towards the rest of the group, Rhiannon giving a grateful nod to Glenn who was immediately at Maggie's side, pulling her in close to him.

"We haven't been able to go on a run yet, we don't have any formula." Rhiannon spoke up regretfully.

"She looks healthy." Her father said, his voice sounding bittersweet as he stared down the baby with a smile, which felt wrong to have at a time like this.

"It's a girl?" Rhiannon asked quietly, looking down at the little one in wonder. Hershel looked up and gave her a small nod, both of them having a small sense of hope blossoming at the new life in front of them.

Hershel's face suddenly turned down into a frown and he looked to Daryl. "She needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."

"Nope. No way, not her." Daryl said gruffly, slinging his crossbow over his back. "We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

Rhiannon was about to volunteer to go with him when Maggie cut her off to offer. She looked up and shared a look with Glenn before her worried eyes trailed over to her sister who was still crying quietly but trying to put on a brave face.

She stayed quiet as Daryl gave out orders, unable to ignore the pride she felt at seeing him take charge, something he was always too insecure to do, but with Rick out of commission, he was their best hope.

"Rick!" Maggie called out, making them all turn to see Rick storming back into the prison, ignoring their calls for him.

Rhiannon sighed and looked down at Carl who hadn't said a word since he'd come out. She frowned deeply, fighting back tears for what felt like the millionth time that day.

"Come on, we're gonna lose the light." Daryl barked harshly, storming over to his bike.

Rhiannon watched him wearily, worried about him going out there when he was so high strung, which was always dangerous. She hesitated for a few seconds, before swallowing whatever reservations she had and walking towards him.

Daryl didn't look up at her as she approached, making her nerves spike. It was never an easy conversation when he was like this.

"Be careful out there." She said softly, to which he just grunted in response. "Daryl…"

"What?" He asked sharply, looking up at her impatiently, his temper getting the better of him.

Rhiannon just stared back at him, her jaw clenched as she tried to quell the emotional outburst that was threatening to explode.

"Just...I," She stuttered weakly before letting out a heavy breath and shaking her head and turning slightly away from him.

Daryl's eyes softened and he was inwardly cursing himself for being such a dick. He had immediately regretted the tone of his voice and averted his gaze in shame. He didn't mean to take it out on her, this day had just been too awful and he was still figuring out how to deal with that feeling of loss that was so foreign to him.

He stepped in front of her and moved his hands to cradle her face, wiping away a few tears with his thumb. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He whispered slightly frantically.

"Just come back." She told him.

"Always will." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He sighed and looked up at the small remaining group, his gaze landing on Carl who looked numb, like he was in a trance. "The kid..."

"I'll talk to him, make sure he's ok." Rhiannon assured him.

Daryl looked down at her, his eyes blazing with a look he'd only ever given her. He leaned down, this time pressing his lips to hers fiercely. Rhiannon melted into him, her hands winding around his waist as she almost moaned against him.

After the day they had, after being separated and fearing for the other's lives, they needed to be together this way, to reassure themselves that they hadn't lost each other.

He pulled away and stared down at her. "See you soon." He promised.

Rhiannon nodded and took a step back as he got onto his motorcycle, each of them sharing mournful, sad looks at yet another separation. She turned her head as Maggie approached and she hugged her quickly.

"You're sure you wanna do this? No one would blame you if-"

"I have to. For Lori." Maggie interrupted. Rhiannon nodded and gave her a weak smile.

"Be safe." She said to the two of them as Maggie got situated behind Daryl.

She spared him one last glance and he gave her a brief nod before driving off. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as they left the safety of being behind fences. She wanted to scoff at the thought, _whole lot of good those fences did today,_ she thought bitterly.

Glenn found his place beside her and together they looked out and watched as their partners went out into the dangerous world. Rhiannon looked over at him, seeing the worry clearly evident in his expression and she nudged her hip with his, making him look over at her.

"She'll be ok. She knows how to handle herself out there."

Glenn nodded, a solemn look on his face. "I know she can, doesn't make it easier though."

"I know how you feel." Rhiannon mumbled, a heavy feeling on her chest as she could no longer hear the sound of the motorcycle's engine. She looked back over at him, noticing and expression on his face was something she'd never seen from him before. "You doing ok?"

Glenn just shrugged in response, his face twisted in sadness.

"We went so long without losing anybody, and finding this place, we thought it would be safe, where we could finally make something of our lives... knew it was too good to be true." She continued with a bitter tone in her voice.

Glenn finally looked over at her and frowned at the tone in her voice. Rhiannon was usually the optimistic one, but lately she'd been acting like a shell of the person she usually was.

"What happened today?" She asked.

"Andrew, the one that ran away yesterday, he came back. He wanted to get back at us for what happened to Tomas." Glenn explained, his voice sounding hollow.

"I thought Rick killed him."

"I thought so too." He said bitterly but suddenly shook his head regretfully. "It feels weird doesn't it, wishing he had killed someone."

Rhiannon sighed, not wanting to admit that that was something she had wanted. If it meant keeping any one of their group safe, she didn't care who had to die to do it. Did that make her a bad person? She shivered slightly, that wasn't a question she think she wanted answered.

"I need to start digging graves." Glenn said after a long silence.

Rhiannon stiffened and nodded slowly, blinking her eyes rapidly to keep back the tears she didn't want to fall. She thought of T-Dog, Carol, and Lori, and it made her chest tighten.

Glenn noticed how she closed up as soon as he had mentioned the graves and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened to Carol wasn't your fault." He told her straightly.

Rhiannon shook her head, her lip beginning to quiver.

"Hey, come on." Glenn frowned, pulling her into a hug as she let out a shaking breath. "This is a shitty world and it's not your fault when the shitty things happen."

Rhiannon didn't bother to argue with him, it wouldn't do either of them any good to go back and forth about whose fault it was. He wasn't going to change her mind and she wasn't going to let him even try.

"I should go check on Carl." She said, pulling away from him abruptly.

Glenn looked at her worriedly, knowing she was avoiding confronting her grief and the fact that she thought Carol's death was her fault, something he knew was going to mess her up for a while.

"I'll see you later." She mumbled and walked away before he could say anything else. She hurried her pace when she heard him call out to her, no doubt trying to keep her from running from her problems, but she ignored him and walked into the prison, a place that continually proved to her how unsafe it could be.

An involuntary smile tugged at her lips and the heavy sadness that was strangling her dissipated as she saw the baby cradled in her father's arms.

"She ok?"

"She's sleeping." Hershel answered with a smile, barely taking his eyes off the newborn.

Rhiannon smiled at how smitten her father clearly was, but it immediately faded as she looked over at Carl who sat quietly, watching his sister with a pensive look, like he didn't know whether or not to approach her.

"Carl," She called out, making him look at up at her and the look in his eyes made her want to burst into tears again. "Come on, let's go for a walk." She said, holding her hand out for him to take.

He looked up at her with slight confusion but grabbed her hand and stood from where he sat, sparing a brief glance at the baby before following her out of the cellblock, his hand clenched in hers tightly.

They walked in silence, Carl sneaking glances at the woman as the walked, wondering why she had invited him out with her. They walked up to the catwalk and she sat herself down on the ground, patting the space next to her for him to follow.

"You know, I was just a bit younger than you when I lost my mom." Rhiannon spoke up after a long silence. "It felt like my whole world had collapsed, like there was no way I could ever keep going without her." She paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself before she started crying again. "I just want you to know that you still have this big, crazy family here with you. I know you're strong enough to keep going. Your mom knew it too."

Carl's brow creased and he let out a shaky breath, his lip beginning to tremble. The sight of him made her already cracked heart ache.

"I couldn't let her turn. I had to do it." He said quietly, his voice rising in pitch as he tried hard not to breakdown.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked down at him with horror and swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't know what to say to that. She thought watching her mother die in that hospital bed was awful, but at least it had been peaceful, at least she didn't have to put a bullet in her forehead afterwards.

"I should've been a better son." Carl's words brought her back to reality and she shook her head.

"Carl, that's-"

"She wasn't mad at me. I don't know why, after how I treated her all winter she still wasn't mad." He interrupted her, his eyes turning glassy. "I don't wanna do this without her." He said and broke out into sobs, curling in on himself.

Rhiannon was quick to wrap her arms around him tightly, practically pulling him into her lap to hold him while his small body shook with powerful cries. She knew the guilt he was feeling, she knew he wished he could've apologized or had time to make things right. It made her thankful she'd made it back to her family at the beginning of the outbreak. She couldn't imagine never getting the chance to say sorry for being such a shitty child and sister and it made her sadness reach a new level knowing Carl would never get that satisfaction.

"I know, I don't either." She whispered and pressed a kiss to his forehead. His arms wound around her waist so tightly it made her almost lose her breath. That made her frown deepen and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Carl, I'm so sorry." She breathed out.

Carl just squeezed her tighter. The two of them sat in silence, just holding onto each other. Rhiannon knew there was nothing she could say to make him feel better, she just wanted to make sure he would be ok, to make sure he knew he wasn't alone. She would be damned if she let him make the same stupid mistake she made after her own mother died.

His dad wasn't exactly in a place to be an emotional guardian, so she took it upon herself to fill in and if that meant just holding him for hours while he cried, she'd do it without hesitation.

The sun was beginning to set when she decided it was time to go back inside, knowing the others were probably worried about them being gone. She detached his arms from around her waist and stood, hoisting him up with her.

"We should check on the baby."

Carl nodded in response but kept his head down and she knew he really didn't want to go back to the cell block.

"Carl, that little girl is your sister. She already lost her mom and she's gonna need her big brother to protect her and I know you're more than capable of doing it. I know you wanna take your anger and your hurt out on something, but it's not her fault and you can't resent that little baby for what happened. You have to be there for her." Rhiannon told him with finality.

Carl finally looked up at her and wiped his eyes, his expression shedding it's previous grief for a look of determination. Rhiannon felt something inside her swell and she pulled him in for another hug.

"She's the luckiest girl in the world to have you." She whispered and Carl's grip on her tightened, letting her know he'd heard her. "And hey," She said, making him look up at her. "Thanks for saving my ass today."

Carl looked down and smiled, shrugging in response, feeling shy at her praise.

She smiled down at him, both of them looked a little worse for wear, but they had a new, revived aura around them, one that wouldn't let their grief consume them until there was nothing left. It was strange for Rhiannon to feel like this after a day of losses, but Carl gave her the strength to do it. There was something about the kid that could lift her spirits no matter what.

"Is my dad gonna come back soon?" He asked solemnly and Rhiannon's small smile faded instantly.

"I hope so." Rhiannon mumbled, not having a better answer for him.

* * *

Rhiannon rubbed at her temples as the baby continued to cry. She hadn't been around a newborn since Beth and she forgot how loud they could be. She watched with a hint of a smile as Carl rocked her gently, trying to calm her down.

She was glad her talked with him helped and when they'd gotten back he'd immediately asked to hold her and hadn't let go since.

Her fingers tapped against the table she sat at as her mind wandered to Maggie and Daryl who still hadn't returned. Hershel placed his hand over hers, stopping the annoying sound. She looked up, startled, and sent him a sheepish smile in apology.

It was as if the man upstairs was finally throwing her a bone as the prison door opened and the two of them hurried inside, making the rest of them perk up in hope.

Daryl looked over at her, easing his own mind that she was ok, before turning to the crying baby in Carl's arms. "How's she doing?" He asked, slowly taking her from the boy's arms.

Rhiannon was about to answer but the words got caught in her throat as Daryl shushed the baby and rocked her gently in his strong arms. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but smile softly at the sight.

She shared a look of disbelief with Beth who handed him the bottle, fully expecting the hunter to hand the baby right back to be fed, but was pleasantly surprised when he starting feeding her himself.

Despite the horrible day that had put cracks in her heart, watching Daryl hold the little baby sent a warmth through her she didn't think she was possible of feeling, not after today, not when she was grieving over the family they'd lost.

But Daryl had a way of surprising her, of making her see the light when she thought she was trapped in darkness.

Daryl smiled down at the baby as she stopped crying and took the bottle in her mouth. He looked up and his eyes zeroed in on Rhiannon who watched him with amazement. The look in her eyes made him smile lightly and avert his gaze bashfully.

He would never get over the whirlwind that happened inside him every time she looked at him like that. It started on the farm and he thought he'd get used to it over the months they'd been together but he never did, she always left him feeling dizzy with happiness, something that was so foreign to him.

"She got a name yet?" He asked Carl whose smile immediately faded as he shook his head.

"I was thinking maybe Sophia." He started quietly, causing everyone to tense slightly at the mention of the little girl. "There's Carol, too, and Andrea, Amy, Jacqui, Patricia...or Lori. I don't know." He mumbled the last part, backing up into Rhiannon as a reflex to be closer to her.

Rhiannon bit her lip and placed an arm over his shoulder, pulling him into her side. She shared a look with Daryl who moved his empathetic gaze to hers, his eyes filled with regret as he thought of the people they'd lost.

He shook the dark thoughts from his head and looked back down at the baby in his arms, finding his mind go blank as he stared down at her.

"You like that, huh? Little ass kicker." Daryl cooed to the girl. "That's a good name, right?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes in amusement as he looked up at the group, a look of pride in his eyes as they laughed at the nickname. Once again, his eyes drifted to hers and he noticed how much less tense she was compared to when he'd left hours before.

She smiled at him and his lips quirked up in response, an overwhelming feeling of happiness swelling inside him that he was able to make her smile when he knew she was hurting.

The group sat in a relaxed silence as they watched the scene in front of them. It didn't take long for the baby to finish the bottle and Daryl reluctantly placed her in Beth's arms who wanted to put her down in the makeshift crib they'd made.

Rhiannon noticed Maggie's ashen expression as she sat at the table, her head propped up by her hand tiredly. She jumped in surprise as Rhiannon placed a hand on her shoulder and looked up at her, blinking heavily.

"Get some sleep, I'll take watch tonight." She told her softly.

Maggie nodded slowly, giving her a barely noticeable smile. She stood and immediately pulled her big sister into a hug. Rhiannon frowned and held onto her tightly. She couldn't even imagine the dark thoughts that were running through her mind.

Glenn looked at the two of them sadly and immediately had his arm around Maggie the second she'd pulled away from her sister. He sent a nod to Rhiannon who was only ok with letting her go knowing Glenn was there for her. He placed his hand on her lower back to guide her into the cell block, but turned before they left.

"We're thinking of going on a run tomorrow, you in?" Glenn asked.

"Definitely." She responded with a small smile, earning one from Glenn.

She sighed, looking forlornly at Maggie who still looked shaken as she was guided into her cell. Rhiannon wished she could do more to ease her mind, but it was hard when she herself felt like she was crumbling from despair.

She turned her attention to Beth and immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her at seeing her smiling. Rhiannon stepped towards her and leaned her chin on her shoulder as they both looked down at the baby in her arms.

"You're good with her."

Beth just smiled in response, refusing to take her eyes off the newborn.

"You ok to put her down?" Rhiannon asked, though she didn't feel like she knew anything more about childcare than Beth did. The last time she held a baby, it _was_ Beth.

"I'm fine." Beth replied wistfully. She finally tore her eyes away from the baby and looked up at her sister, her smile falling slightly in worry. "You should get some rest."

Rhiannon sighed and pulled away from her. "I gotta keep watch." She said quietly. She placed a kiss to her forehead and gently ran her thumb against the baby's chubby cheek, smiling down at her slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow." She told her, not wanting to stick around to hear Beth nag her to get some sleep after the trauma she'd been through that day.

She said a quick goodnight to the others and was out of the prison before they could try and stop her. She didn't want to sleep at all, she knew the faces of the people they lost would be all she saw, so her solution was to take watch until she physically couldn't keep her eyes open.

Daryl watched her go, his face shrouded with worry and confusion. It wasn't like her to be so distant with everyone and brush them off, especially with her own sister. He knew she was struggling coming to terms with the losses of the day and it pained him to see her like this.

He made his way up to the cell they shared and grabbed a hoodie that he'd originally picked up for himself but for the last couple of months, she'd been the only who'd worn it. He rifled through his backpack, smiling to himself as he pulled out the chocolate bar he'd found for her at the daycare.

He knew Maggie had seen him pocketing the candy, but she didn't say anything, only gave him a knowing smile.

He made his way down the stairs and sent a reassuring nod to Hershel who knew where the hunter was going and was hopeful that he could help Rhiannon heal.

* * *

Rhiannon wiped at the tears that fell down her cheeks and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked out into the field. The moonlight illuminated the graves that lay to the side, like a spotlight that was meant to taunt her, but yet, she couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

She heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and she sniffled, furiously wiping away the evidence that she'd been crying, though she knew it was useless, Daryl would notice from a mile away.

Daryl opened the hatch and hoisted himself up, his eyes zeroing in on her hunched form. He closed the door behind him and slowly stepped towards her.

"You ok?" He rasped.

Rhiannon just shrugged in response making Daryl sigh. He sat himself next to her and his chest tightened when he noticed her red rimmed eyes.

"Brought you this." He said, holding out the hoodie for her. She took it from him wordlessly and pulled it over her head.

Daryl looked at her and couldn't help but smile at the way she drowned in it, the sleeves falling past her hands. It frightened him how small she was, but another part of him found it adorable whenever she had to go up on the tip of her toes to reach him.

Rhiannon could feel his eyes on her and she sighed, squeezing her eyes closed.

"How can you even look at me right now?" She whispered, irrationally feeling like he was judging her with his intense gaze.

"This about Carol?"

Rhiannon stayed silent which gave Daryl his answer. He chewed at his thumb, a nervous tick he'd never been able to get rid of, and he didn't know what to say to her. He was upset about Carol, but he knew it wasn't Rhiannon's fault. He blamed the walkers and he blamed that coward prisoner Andrew for breaking the lock on the gate.

He knew Rhiannon would do anything to protect any one of them, but he knew she took every loss to heart, no matter the situation. Before they'd found the prison, she was disheartened every time they'd been run out of their safe place and after they'd lost the farm she refused to even talk about Patricia or Andrea.

"I should've stayed with her." Rhiannon said quietly, looking down at her fingers that fidgeted in her lap.

"Then the both'a you might be dead." Daryl told her, trying to keep his voice calm despite feeling his temper rise at the thought of how close he'd come to losing her.

Rhiannon shook her head, refusing to believe that she'd done the right thing. If she had, Carol would be alive.

"Rhi-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." She cut him off abruptly, making him sigh in frustration. "You're not gonna change my mind."

Daryl eyed her carefully and nodded, biting his lip to keep himself from arguing with her. "Fine."

The couple sat in silence, both of their minds running wild. Daryl spared another glance at her and sighed deeply, not wanting to keep the tense distance between them. He reached out for her hand, having to hike up the sleeves of the sweater so he could actually reach them.

Rhiannon looked over at him hesitantly, weary of meeting his gaze. Daryl, noticing her hesitance, reached out to nudge her chin up with his finger to make her look at him and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"You scared me today." Daryl rasped, closing his eyes in contentment.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, her mind flashing with the images of T-Dog and Carol and her time alone in the tombs. She pulled away from him, unable to allow herself to indulge in him when she was so wrecked with guilt.

"Rhiannon," Daryl groveled, annoyed with her unusual show of self hatred. She was usually the one bringing him out of a slump and he didn't know how to bring her out of hers, it was something he never had to do. "You ain't the only one who lost her." He muttered, unable to keep his frustration from bubbling out.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut and ran her hands through her hair. She didn't mean to act so selfish, she knew Daryl was hurting, she knew everyone was and she wasn't able to let go of her guilt to realize that he was grieving for his friend too.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking over at him tentatively. Daryl sighed and hung his head. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad, he knew what she was going through, and he wasn't the one lost in the tombs with the woman they'd lost.

"I know. I am too." He muttered and the two were left in silence. Daryl looked over at her and he hated seeing her eyes shining with tears.

"I can't stop thinking about her, about all of them." Rhiannon said, her voice breaking as she blinked away tears that threatened to fall. "Otis, Patricia, the family in New York, the group I was with before, the couple in the store, I can't stop thinking about how I failed them."

Daryl's eyes immediately found the small scar above her eyebrow when she mentioned the couple from the store and he clenched his fists at the thought of the asshole that tried to kill her. He almost blew a gasket when she first told him the story.

"You didn't fail Carol, or any of them." Daryl told her, watching with a heavy heart as she sniffled and wiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "You're one person, you can't save everyone and no one expects you to."

Rhiannon stayed quiet and Daryl scooted closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. She tried to quell her squeal of surprise as he hoisted her up and placed her in his lap. She instinctively slithered her arms around his neck to hold onto him as his hands gripped her waist. She sighed in defeat and looked down at him, the pleading look in his blue eyes leaving her breathless.

Daryl was upset about Carol, he would miss his friend, and he was feeling the same survivor's guilt Rhiannon was feeling. He wished he could have been there for the both of them. He wished he could take away the sadness and anger she was feeling for something that wasn't her fault.

"She wouldn't want you bein' like this." He said quietly and she swallowed thickly, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion. She couldn't fight this anymore, she couldn't keep going back and forth with him, she was too drained.

"This place was supposed to be safe." She said dryly, her attention turning to the field in front of them.

"It will be, we can make it safe."

"Is it worth it?"

Daryl hesitated, he'd been wondering the same thing all day, but he didn't want to tell her that. He tightened his arms around her and placed a hand on the side of her face to make her look at him again.

"You remember after we lost the storage units, I was gettin' frustrated." He began and sent her a half hearted glare at the 'no shit' look she gave him. "You kept telling me that it didn't matter where we were or where we ended up, as long as we stayed together we could beat all this shit. You tellin' me you were lyin'?" He said, looking up at her playfully and cracked a smirk at the immense pride he felt when he saw a small smile beginning to grow on her face.

"How are you not pissed off?" She asked him. She found it shocking that Daryl could give her sound advice after everything that happened. It wasn't like him to keep a level head in a time like this, she figured she'd have to talk him down from a fit of rage, but instead he was calm and caring. She didn't want him to hold back how he was feeling for her benefit.

"I am pissed. Wanna kill the son of a bitch that did this, but I gotta make sure we're all ok. Can't afford doin' somethin' stupid and gettin' more of us killed."

Rhiannon nodded, and while she didn't feel any better about Carol, Daryl was able to lessen the blow and be there for her in a way no one ever had. She knew she should just let it go, she could wallow later. Now, all she wanted was to be with her man, the one who could sweep her off her feet the way she thought only happened in movies. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against his and kissed him softly.

Daryl moaned against her lips, his hands crawling up her back and to her hair, feeling immense relief at the contact. He was worried she'd be distant and cold towards him.

"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon." She told him causing him to blush and avert his eyes. "You're a good leader."

Daryl shrugged, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach that erupted at her praise. "Just doin' what anyone would'a done."

"Mhmm." Rhiannon smiled, knowing her words were making him bashful, but her eyes lacked the playful glint they usually held. She couldn't stop thinking about Carol or how scared she'd been walking alone through the dark halls of the prison. She didn't want to be plagued by these thoughts, she wanted to forget the entire day.

"You good?" Daryl asked, noticing her expression had fallen again.

"Are you?" She asked, more worried that he Daryl hadn't said much about Carol. She didn't want him to keep it all in only to burst within a few days, that would be disastrous for everyone.

"Gotta be." He muttered and Rhiannon gave him a pointed look.

"No you don't. You can cry, you can throw something, that'd make you feel better, right?"

Daryl looked up at her with a playful glare, though a part of him had to admit it most likely would make him feel better if he could.

"Ain't gonna go crazy." He rasped. Carol was always reminding him to stay calm in moments he was about to lose it. She'd been there for him when Rhiannon was sick and he was so close to losing his temper at the world for making her go through it, she'd always been the one to make him relax and just be there for Rhiannon.

He couldn't lose his temper now, he'd feel like he was disrespecting Carol and how hard she tried to keep him relaxed.

Rhiannon leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips and she shouldn't have been surprised when he responded desperately, his hands clutching her tightly. She pulled away breathlessly, staring down at him, his eyes swimming with relief.

"I thought I lost you today." He whispered and she felt herself beginning to choke up again at the fear she heard in his voice.

"Me too. I don't ever wanna be apart from you again, not like that."

Daryl nodded, feeling a strange sense of relief that he wasn't the only one who had been losing his mind while being separated from her.

Rhiannon placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned down, kissing him fiercely. Daryl tilted his head and kissed her harder, his hands practically tingling as he touched her, something he'd been waiting hours to do.

He grabbed onto her thighs, holding her steady as he stood and carried her over to the mattress that lay on the floor inside the guard tower, never tearing his lips from hers as they moved. He placed his hands on either side of her head as he hovered over her.

Rhiannon tore at the buttons of his shirt, her hands sliding down his exposed chest making his shoulders tense at the feeling. He shrugged his shirt off and immediately moved to hers, tugging the huge hoodie off her impatiently. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the tattoo at her side making her sigh and tangle her fingers in his hair.

Daryl moved back up and pressed a bruising kiss to her lips, his hands sneaking around her back to unhook her bra. He pulled away but kept his lips inches from hers.

"Never leavin' my side, darlin'." He rasped and she smiled up at him, giving a slight nod and biting her lip at the fire in his eyes.

His blue eyes blazed with need as he stared down at her and in that moment, he couldn't believe his luck. He couldn't believe that the beautiful woman beneath him was just as enamored as he was.

Rhiannon let her eyes fall closed as he began placing kisses down her chest to the waistline of her jeans. She was buzzing with anticipation as he slowly pulled her jeans off her legs, his heated gaze locked on hers, making a shiver run down his spine.

"Daryl," She breathed out as he started trailing his lips up her leg to where she was aching for him. He just growled in response and had to restrain himself from tearing her underwear off her, he doubted she'd appreciate that after the last time, and he settled for just pulling the down and threw them over his shoulder.

He couldn't help the small smirk that graced his lips as he saw the tattoo on her hip she was so embarrassed about and she blushed under his gaze, sending him a playful glare when she noticed where his attention was.

Rhiannon's glare fell and her jaw went slack as he moved his mouth on her. Her hands gripped at his hair and she let out a loud gasp as he moved her legs over his broad shoulders, opening herself up to him as he devoured her.

Daryl's cock twitched in his jeans at the sound of her moaning and his grip on her thighs tightened. He let out a low growl against her as she pulled at his hair, making her stutter out his name at the feeling.

The stinging of his scruff against her skin and the quickening pace of his tongue on her folds was making her voice rise in pitch as she whined and writhed beneath him, her hips bucking up against his mouth.

Daryl looked up from between her legs and the sight of her made him almost lose his patience. The pleasure that was etched on her face made him ground his hips against the bed, desperate for contact.

Every flick of his tongue had her legs quivering and her body tensing as she neared her peak. She panted heavily, squeezing her eyes shut as she cried out for him. Her body shuddered and just a second later she was pushed over the edge, incoherent moans and yells leaving her lips.

Daryl almost winced as she tugged at his hair roughly, but the look on her face and the sounds she made were worth it. He continued to move his tongue around her, wanting nothing more than to keep going for hours, but her hand pushing at his shoulder made him look up at her.

"Daryl, please." She whimpered, trying weakly to pull him up.

He relented, not wanting to do anything she didn't want to do, and crawled back up to meet her. He moved to lay next to her and couldn't help but admire the way she was panting, feeling prideful that _he_ had done that for her.

Rhiannon turned on her side to face him and smiled at the way he looked at her so intently, like he was ready to pinch himself out of this supposed dream. She slithered her hand around to the back of his neck to pull him towards her, pressing her lips to his feverishly.

Daryl had to hold back a smile as she kissed him with so much need, it made his feel dizzy. He pulled away breathlessly and tilted his head up, pressing a soft and slow kiss to the scar above her brow.

Rhiannon felt her stomach flutter at the small action, turning the air between them to love rather than the animalistic need they'd both been feeling previously. She blushed at his affection and looked up at him, brown meeting blue, and they both felt their breathing falter at the other's gaze.

"Don't know what the hell you did to me, darlin'." Daryl said, moving over her again and placing himself between her legs. "Never felt this before."

"Me either." She whispered, her hands holding onto his biceps tightly, refusing to let go even for a second.

Daryl leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, both of their moans of relief muffled as he slid into her slowly. He stopped short and breathed heavily, trying his best to calm down before he lost it, but Rhiannon's hands that trailed up and down his back made it hard for him to concentrate.

He moved gently, keeping his eyes locked onto hers until he couldn't anymore. The way she moved her hips with his, grinding against him made him lose his control.

He buried his head into the crook of her neck, letting out a deep grunt as he picked up the pace. Rhiannon let out a low moan and gently trailed her nails down the length of his back, earning a moan from Daryl.

She was overcome with need, wanting nothing more than to bring him the pleasure he wanted so desperately. The push on his chest made him stop and look up at her, his eyes wide with worry that he'd done something wrong.

He was about to stutter out an apology and ask what was wrong when she pushed him on his back and crawled over him. His lips parted in surprise as he watched her climb into his lap, her knees planted on either side of his hips.

Daryl was awestruck, looking up at Rhiannon with pure lust as she sank down onto his length. Her nails dug into his chest making him hiss at the simultaneous pleasure. His breathing picked up and his heart hammered in his chest as she moved above him, her hips grinding in circles, making his head spin.

Rhiannon gasped as he bucked his hips up into hers and she threw her head back, her hips beginning to move faster. Daryl leaned his head back and cursed loudly, his eyes falling shut as he allowed himself to get lost in pleasure.

"Fuck, Rhi, so good." Daryl panted, his hands gripping onto her hips so tight he worried he'd leave bruises, but he physically couldn't let go.

Rhiannon ran her hand through her hair, the sight of Daryl's face creased with pleasure pushing her closer to climax. He noticed her rhythm faltering and sat up, cradling her to his chest as they moved together slightly frantically.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, a loud moan escaping her. Her arms wound around his neck, gripping onto him tightly as he moved beneath her.

His hand on her cheek made her pull back to look at him and not even a second later, he was crashing his lips to hers. Rhiannon moaned against him, their tongues tangling passionately until he pulled away with a deep groan.

"Fuckin' hell, babe, I can't-"

Rhiannon nodded frantically, letting him know she was right there with him and her hips picked up speed. Daryl grunted loudly and fisted a hand in her hair, pulling roughly. His face contorted and his mouth hung open in a silent cry as he flew over the edge.

Rhiannon yelled out his name, her nails digging into his shoulder and his hands on her hips helped her keep moving rapidly as her body shook with release.

Neither one of them wanted move and they stayed wrapped up in each other, their limbs trembling as they came down from their highs. Daryl leaned his head against her shoulder, his eyes still shut tightly and his heavy breaths fanning her sweat slicked skin.

Rhiannon nudged her head against his, smiling into his shaggy hair. Daryl laid down, his body feeling weak. She moved off him and flopped down at his side, running a hand through her hair.

"Holy shit." Daryl mumbled, still slightly out of breath. "How the fuck do you do that to me?"

Rhiannon smirked in triumph at how utterly spent he sounded and draped her leg over his, his arm immediately moving over her pull her into his side.

"Just giving you what you deserve." She responded tiredly, feeling the exhaustion of the day finally hitting her.

Daryl placed his hand over hers that lay on his chest and intertwined their fingers as his other hand began playing with the long strands of her hair, lulling her into a deeper state of tiredness.

"We're gonna be ok, right?" She mumbled against his chest.

Daryl looked down at her through his heavy lids, still slightly worried about the thoughts running through her head.

"Ain't got a doubt about it, darlin'." He said and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

They both knew it would take awhile to accept their losses and move on, but they knew it could be done, if tonight was any example. The couple fell asleep tangled with each other, both relieved that they got another day with each other.

* * *

 **So sorry for the long wait! I had exams and I started watching it's always sunny in Philadelphia and it has been ruling my life. But I'm finally back to it!**

 **Please accept the smut as my apology…**

 **I'm so excited for what's to come. Rhiannon's going on the run with Maggie and Glenn where they'll meet a certain someone...I literally can't wait.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this super long chapter xx**


	42. Chapter 42

Daryl wiped the dirt from his hands as he stood in front of Carol's grave, glancing at the cherokee rose he'd put down as a place marker. A part of him had trouble believing that the woman was actually gone, that she wouldn't be around anymore to tease him or give him advice or calm him down about things that usually had him spiralling.

He sighed deeply and walked away, unwilling to keep his mind on the depressing thoughts of the loss for too long. He quickly made his way back to the guard tower, not wanting Rhiannon to wake up alone after the state she'd been in last night.

He was still worried about her, even after the mindblowing night they'd had. He knew it was her way to distance herself from the situation and ignore it and he knew she was still hurting and still blaming herself.

His steps were light as he tried to be as quiet as possible and as he carefully crept into the room, a smirk grew on his face when he noticed her still fast asleep, spread out like a starfish over his side of the bed.

His eyes stayed locked on her still form as he took his crossbow off his shoulder, placing it down as quietly as possible and slowly crawled over to lay beside her, having to gently nudge her leg so he could fit in the small spot beside her.

Rhiannon stirred slightly as Daryl ran his hand through her long hair and placed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder. She let out a low whine as she was broken from her sleep, but immediately smiled when she felt that familiar burn of his scruff against her skin.

"Mmm, what time is it?" She mumbled, still half asleep.

"Early. Maggie and Glenn ain't up yet, you still got some time 'fore you gotta go."

"Then why the hell did you wake me up?" She groaned childishly making Daryl laugh lightly, the sound sending pleasurable shivers down her spine.

"'M selfish." He shrugged, smirking down at her.

Rhiannon turned on her back and looked up at him as he laid next to her propped up on his elbow, a small smirk on her face, though it fell quickly when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Did you sleep?" She asked, moving her hand up to the side of his face.

"Got a few hours." He said with a shrug, like it wasn't a big deal and she frowned.

"Sorry, I should've been more help."

Daryl shook his head wordlessly and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "You needed sleep more than me." He mumbled, sounding unsure of bringing up her fragile state the night before.

Rhiannon bit her lip and nodded, not wanting the conversation to go any further.

"I'm surprised you aren't pissed about me going on a run today." She told him, changing the subject.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. "Ain't that much of a prick." He joked making her smile. "Wish I was goin' with you, but I ain't gonna stop you."

"I know, it feels weird going without you."

Daryl nodded, glad she didn't see him as the overbearing boyfriend he worried he was. He bit at his lip, looking down at her nervously as he contemplated his next words.

"Goin' back in the tombs today." He blurted out, finding no better way to ease her into it. She looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes and swallowed thickly. "I gotta find her, even if it's just a body, we should bury her properly." He explained with a mournful expression.

Rhiannon felt her body tense at his words. It wasn't easier to think about what had happened the day before. She had hoped getting some well needed sleep would make the memory of Carol a little bit easier, but it hadn't and she was beginning to doubt that anything would help, but she loved Daryl for trying.

She knew he was hurting too, but he wasn't about to let it all out the way she had last night. She knew he would suffer in silence and while she was worried about him going through the depths of the overrun prison while he was upset, she knew it was something he needed to do.

"Be careful." She said quietly.

Daryl nodded, surprised that she didn't have more to say, he was expecting her to freak out on him. He leaned down again, giving her a soft kiss. Rhiannon felt herself relax at his touch and her arms wound around his neck, keeping him close to her.

He pulled away and leaned his forehead on hers.

"You good?"

She nodded despite the fact that she wasn't and Daryl sighed, his eyes casting down to the floor. He knew she wasn't and he hated that she wasn't talking about it or listening to him when he told her it wasn't her fault. He didn't know what to do to make her realize her guilt wasn't justified.

"You should take Carl with you." She spoke up, surprising him again. "He needs to stay busy, take his mind off everything."

Daryl nodded, a small smile growing. "Yeah, I'll take him. I can finally talk to him 'bout this crush he's got on my girl."

Rhiannon placed her hand over her face as she began to laugh, the sound pleasing him more than anything ever could. "Don't embarrass the poor kid."

Daryl just raised his brow and smirked sarcastically, relieved by the smile he'd put on her face. "Can't promise nothin'." He mumbled, though he had no intention of giving Carl a hard time, not after what he'd been through.

Rhiannon stretched her arms out wide and sat up, finally accepting that she couldn't sit around all day. Daryl stayed laying down next to her, content to just watch her as she moved. He felt his breathing hitch as the blanket fell, exposing her bare chest.

Hearing the sound, she turned over her shoulder and sent him a wicked smirk he was all too familiar with. She got a taste of her own teasing medicine when she felt his fingers tracing the ink on her skin making her shiver at the sensation.

She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, trying to fix the mess he'd made with his own fingers the night before, but it was hopeless.

Daryl absentmindedly trailed his fingers over her soft skin, his eyes concentrating on his motions as he was lost in thought, completely oblivious to the way she watched him with a look of adoration.

Rhiannon loved watching him when he did that, completely unreserved and free of any stress or worry. He looked years youngers when he was like that and she wished she got to see it more.

She winced as she pulled at a large tangle and furrowed her brow in frustration. "I should get Maggie to cut this mess soon." She mumbled.

That certainly caught Daryl's attention. His eyes widened and his fingers stopped their motions. He sat up next to her and she couldn't help but smile at the panic in his eyes.

"Like it long." He muttered, twirling his finger around the end of one of the long strands that fell down to her waist.

"I know you do." She teased making him avert his gaze bashfully, a blush creeping on his cheeks. "One of these days you're gonna rip some out."

"Stop." Daryl groaned, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. "Ain't my fault you know what you're doin'. Make me go fuckin' crazy." He teased her right back making her snicker and nudge him lightly with her elbow.

She turned her head, her eyes meeting his and both of their playful smiles fell and turned into something more intense than they intended.

"Be careful out there today." He said quietly, his eyes blazing into hers. Rhiannon could only nod in response, transfixed in his gaze. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers desperately, his hands gripping onto the base of her neck.

They didn't let it get too far despite the growing need for the other. The unrest from the day before still had them reeling and they both wanted nothing more than to spend hours indulging in the other, but they couldn't afford to slack, especially with Rick out of commission.

"We should go before they start looking." She mumbled, the distaste for the decision evident in her voice.

Daryl nodded and gave her one last long kiss before he finally ceased his tight grip on her and reached over to hand her the hoodie he'd given her the night before. She dressed slowly, both of them feeling reluctant to leave and face the others and the reality that there were a few faces they wouldn't be seeing anymore.

* * *

Rhiannon shared a brief smile with the remaining prisoners as she walked by them, still feeling a little hesitant to warm up to them, but the sight of them cooking breakfast was a step in the right direction.

Daryl's hand left the small of her back as he made his way towards them and she couldn't help the smile on her face as she watched him give out orders about what needed to be done for the day. She loved seeing him embrace his new leadership role, she still couldn't believe how far he'd come from the man she met on the farm.

He turned his head, feeling her eyes on him and he immediately felt his cheeks heat at her gaze and ducked his head, forcing himself to turn his attention back to Oscar and Axel who had to hide their smiles at the couple. They didn't know Daryl long, but they knew enough to know he wouldn't appreciate them voicing any of the teasing remarks they had rolling around their brain.

The two of them shared sly side eyes as Daryl watched Rhiannon walk away, but made sure to put on poker faces as the hunter shook himself from his distraction and looked back at them.

For someone who wasn't comfortable showing affection in front of the others, he sure wasn't doing a good job of being subtle.

As she stepped into the cellblock, Rhiannon began to fidget with her fingers like a shy school girl, suddenly feeling nervous to see her sister. She knew Maggie was struggling, and so was she, that's why she was so scared to face her. She doubted she'd be much help to her while Rhiannon herself was stuck in a slump. She approached Maggie and Glenn's cell slowly and leaned against the doorframe, giving them a weak smile.

"Hey, you ready to head out soon?" Glenn asked as he filled his backpack with extra ammo.

"Yeah, ready when you are." She replied, but her eyes stayed on Maggie as she put her boots on, not saying a word or even looking up at her. "Did you sleep ok?" She asked, this time clearly directing her words at her sister.

Glenn looked up like a deer caught in headlights when he realized what Rhiannon was about to do. He gave her a subtle shake of the head, trying to warn her not to do what she was trying to do. He had tried the night before to talk to her about what happened and why she was so closed off, but Maggie had been adamant that she wasn't going to say anything. She'd even gotten a little short with him and that's when he knew to let it go.

He didn't want Rhiannon to bring it up incase Maggie was still sensitive about it. He didn't want another sister fight breaking out, those scared the shit out of him.

"I'll give you two some time." Glenn mumbled, hurrying out of the cell and ignoring the way Maggie rolled his eyes at the way he practically ran out like a girl in a horror movie.

"Yo doing ok?"

"I'm fine." Maggie responded not at all convincingly.

"Right." Rhiannon muttered sarcastically making Maggie look up at her in annoyance.

"What do you want me to say?" She sighed. "I cut Lori open and pulled that baby out of her while her son watched and begged me to stop. How the fuck am I supposed to be ok after that?"

"You're not. None of us know how to move on after that, but that doesn't mean you never will."

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose at the onslaught of images that assaulted her mind. She felt like she could still hear Lori's gut wrenching scream.

"You saved that little girl's life. Above everything, that's what you should be focusing on." Rhiannon told her. She stepped closer and sat on the small bunk next to Maggie, reaching for her hand. "I hate seeing you like this. Pouting's my thing, not yours."

Maggie huffed out a laugh and looked over at her sister, giving her a brief smile. "We're quite the mess, aren't we." She mused quietly and Rhiannon nodded.

Between Rhiannon's guilt for T-Dog and Carol and Maggie's guilt for Lori, they were both struggling and sulking, not acting like they usually would.

"I know it's hard and I don't expect either of us to feel better any time soon, but after everything's that's happened, we still have each other, we have Dad and Beth, and we have to remember that we've been pretty lucky." Rhiannon said with a solemn smile.

"You're right. I doubt there's people out there that still have their family. I just don't think it's sunk in yet, all the people we've lost, it doesn't seem real."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Rhiannon paused, looking at her thoughtfully. "Are you sure you wanna go on this run?"

Maggie nodded. "Gotta help that little baby any way I can. I promised Lori."

"Ok." Rhiannon conceded, not wanting to try and convince her to stay. She knew how annoyed she'd get whenever Daryl or Rick would try to do that to her and she wasn't about to do the same thing to her sister.

She leaned down after she'd stood from her spot on the bunk to press a kiss to Maggie's forehead. "I'm gonna get changed then we'll head out."

Maggie nodded and watched as she began to leave her cell. "Hey, Rhi." She called out, stopping her before she left. "Thanks."

Rhiannon smiled at her and nodded, giving her one last long look before she left. She quickly made her way up the stairs to the cell she shared with Daryl to finally take off the enormous hoodie she was sure she looked ridiculous in.

She put on a plain black tank top and a pair of ripped jeans that looked a little worse for wear, but it was the best she had. She rifled around her bag for her hairbrush that she had to use more than she thought she would, Daryl's desperate grips definitely made sure of that.

Once her hair was tangle free, she put it up in a messy bun and placed her sword over her shoulder and made her way back down to where the others were, knowing she had to see her father and Beth before she left.

Her light footsteps stopped abruptly in her tracks when she noticed Rick standing in the middle of the room, looking like a lost child. The look on his face was a far cry from the kind and determined look she usually saw from him. He looked like he couldn't wait to leave the room.

"Rick?"

He glanced at her briefly, but his eyes were quick to cast downwards to his feet. "Be safe out there." He muttered and with quick strides made his way out of the cellblock, ignoring Hershel who called out for him.

"He didn't even look at her." Beth said sadly, looking down at the baby in her arms. The silence that overcame the room at their leader's quick entrance and departure was tense and had everyone on edge. They all stayed quiet, not wanting to talk bad about their leader, but also worried for him deeply.

Rhiannon looked over at Carl and felt her heart break as she saw him watch that cell door his father had left from, as if wishing for him to come back.

"You should eat before you leave." Hershel said to Rhiannon, who was more than happy for the subject change. She took the bowl he was holding out for her and sat at the table next to him.

The silence that surrounded everyone wasn't awkward, just heavy. They were all worried about Rick and no one knew what to do to bring him back. Rhiannon's worried gaze kept drifting to Carl and each time it made her chest tighten even more. She didn't want to leave him today, and she was sure if he asked her to, she'd stay without any hesitation.

Soon, it was time for everyone to get started on what they needed to do for the day and Rhiannon slowly stood from her spot, her usual enthusiasm about going on a run lost as she looked at the downtrodden expressions on everyone's faces.

Immediately, Daryl's eyes were on hers and she could clearly see the worry on his face. She was surprised he wasn't putting up a fight about her going out, but she was at least thankful this run was starting out drama free, which was a new occurrence.

As Hershel stood to say goodbye to Maggie, Rhiannon turned her attention to Beth who was cradling the baby in her arms. She brushed her finger against the baby's chubby cheek, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips as the little girl squirmed and let out a small whine.

Rhiannon looked up at Beth and her smile fell as she noticed the look of apprehension on her little sister's face. She sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"I'm gonna be fine."

"I know, I just hate that you're always goin' out there." Beth said quietly, averting her gaze down to the baby in her arms.

"We gotta keep this little baby happy." Rhiannon told her. "You have nothing to worry about, I'll be back soon."

Beth nodded, a small smile growing as Rhiannon pulled her in for a hug, careful not to jostle the baby.

"Be good, little one, don't give Beth too much trouble." Rhiannon smiled, placing a kiss to the baby's head.

She stood and turned to face her dad who watched her interaction with the baby with a pleased smile.

"Are you really gonna give me the 'be safe' speech? I think I've heard it enough to repeat it back to you." She told him playfully giving Hershel the urge to roll his eyes. "We'll be fine, we've done this before."

"Doesn't stop me from worrying."

Rhiannon stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her father in a tight hug, immediately feeling a kind of comfort she'd been missing after all the stress she'd been under from the day before.

"When you get back, we're going to talk. I'm worried about you." He said quietly so no one else would hear.

Rhiannon sighed deeply and nodded slightly, reluctant to admit that she needed help overcoming the heavy feeling in her chest and the losses that weighed her down.

"Ready?" Maggie asked, noticing how uncomfortable Rhiannon looked. She nodded eagerly and kissed her dad on the cheek before moving towards Maggie and Glenn.

"Rhiannon!"

She turned towards the voice that called out for her and only a second later, Carl had all but thrown himself at her, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly.

"Do you really have to go?" He asked quietly and Rhiannon was ready to say no and throw her weapon down for him, but she knew she couldn't. It didn't feel right to let Maggie and Glenn walk into danger without her.

"Yeah, buddy. I'm sorry. I'll be back soon." She told him with a strain in her voice she tried hard to keep in check.

"Ok." Carl said, sounding so dejected, Rhiannon had to force herself not to give in. "Don't do anything stupid."

Rhiannon snorted and nodded. "You too."

Daryl slowly stepped forward and Rhiannon sighed, knowing she _really_ had to go. She hugged Carl tightly and moved away, not sparing a glance back at him or else she knew she'd crack. Daryl was only a step behind her as they walked outside of the prison.

"I don't like this." He muttered, placing his arm over her shoulders as they walked to the car.

"I know, I'd rather you be coming with us, but there's too much going on right now. You gotta be the leader now."

Daryl nodded and bit at his lip nervously. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer to him. "If there's even a scratch on you, I ain't lettin' you go out there without me again."

Rhiannon glared at him playfully, but she could hear the joking tone of his voice, even if there was a hint of seriousness to what he said. She smirked and leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

"Be safe, stay close to Maggie and Glenn."

"I will. You stay close to Carl."

Daryl smirked slightly and nodded, not being able to tell if she meant she wanted him to look out for the kid or she wanted the kid to look out for him. He noticed Maggie and Glenn getting in the car and he felt his stomach jump, knowing it was time for her leave.

He leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to her lips and he wanted nothing more than to keep doing it all day. The last thing he wanted was to watch her leave. Her arms immediately reaching up to sneak around his neck to hold him close to her. She pulled away before they could get too carried away, not that Daryl would ever let that happen when there was a risk of someone seeing them.

She looked up at him and had to hold back a groan at the heated look in his eyes.

"Ok, stop or I'm not gonna leave." She said, pushing at his chest lightly. Daryl just shrugged, considering using that to his advantage, but he knew she'd be pissed if he tried to do that again.

"Did you have to wear it up?" He asked with feigned annoyance, twirling a loose strand of her hair with his finger. Rhiannon rolled her eyes at his fixation with her long hair and smacked his chest. Daryl smiled but it faded quickly as his eyes moved to the car, knowing he couldn't keep her any longer.

"Be safe." He told her, watching with disdain as she walked backwards to the car, her eyes glued to his. "I mean it, not a scratch."

Rhiannon smirked and saluted him sarcastically before getting into the car. As soon as she closed the door behind her she could see the adoring smiles on Glenn and Maggie's faces. She glared at them and flipped them off making Glenn laugh and finally start the car.

The drive was relatively silent, no one having much to say to the others. It was still a sensitive time for all of them and it didn't feel right to joke around like they usually did. Rhiannon just looked out the window, her eyes darting from the passing trees to the blue sky above. It seemed like the world was taunting them with the beautiful weather when they were all miserable.

It didn't take long for them to get to the small store and Rhiannon knew it was time to get serious. She couldn't be in her head while she was out there. She was slow to get out of the car, noticing Maggie and Glenn embracing and wanting to give them their moment together. She was just glad to see that smile on her sister's face again.

"You guys are gross." She told them plainly, reveling in the blush on Glenn's cheeks as he pulled away from Maggie abruptly.

He turned to look at her and she watched with confusion as his eyes averted down and widened slightly before he turned away from her awkwardly. She furrowed her brow and looked over at Maggie questioningly.

"You have a huge hickey on your neck." Maggie told her, making sense of Glenn's weird behaviour.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she placed her hand over the side of her neck she knew Daryl had favored the night before. She noticed the smug smile on Maggie's face and nudged her lightly.

"Like I've never caught you with a hickey, you hypocrite." She told her.

The sister's teasing was cut short as Glenn opened the door and a flock of crows flew out of the store. Maggie squealed and grabbed onto Rhiannon's arm, who placed a hand over her racing heart.

"I know it's not possible, but I feel like you did that on purpose." Rhiannon said, raising an accusatory brow at Glenn who looked just as startled as them.

As the initial surprise subsided, the three of them started to laugh and it was as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders, like they were finally ok with smiling after the losses they'd suffered.

Once they calmed down, it was decided that Maggie would keep watch outside while Rhiannon and Glenn got what they needed inside.

"Yell if you need anything." Glenn whispered, giving her a warning look to be careful as they split up.

It was an easy run and it didn't take long to fill up her bag. Amazingly, it wasn't all stale crackers and canned beans nobody seemed to want, even in dire situations. She had a grin on her face as she placed a small stuffed pig toy in her bag for the baby, excited to see the smile on Carl's face when he saw it.

"Rhi, you good?"

"Yeah, I'll be right out." She yelled back, placing a box of cookies in her bag carefully like they were a precious diamond that had to be protected at all costs.

She stood slowly, doing one final sweep of the store with her eyes to make sure there was nothing else of value for them to take. Once she decided she was good to go, she started to make her way to the front of the store, but her body went rigid and a strike of fear went through her like ice in her veins when she heard a voice that definitely didn't belong to Maggie or Glenn.

She pulled her sword from its sheath across her back and stormed out of the store.

"Don't!" Maggie yelled and Rhiannon was immediately stopped in her tracks as a gun trained on her head the second she stepped out.

"Easy there, honey. Don't do nothin' stupid." The man said.

Rhiannon furrowed her brows, staring at him intently. His voice made something in the back of her mind itch, like something she couldn't quite remember that was on the tip of her tongue.

He turned his attention back to Glenn, but kept his gun pointed at her. After noticing the sword in her hand and the two other guns pointed at him from Maggie and Glenn he placed his gun in his jeans and raised his hands in what she figured to be a feigning of innocence.

"I just wanna see my brother, you take me to him, I'll forget everythin' that happened in Atlanta."

 _Holy shit._ Rhiannon tried to keep her face expressionless as she finally figured out who this person was, but she was sure she was failing. She didn't know how she could have ever forgotten the human equivalent of a hurricane that was Merle Dixon. Granted, she'd been drunk that night too, but he wasn't easy to forget, especially since the story of her beating up some douchebag in a bar was one her friends wanted to hear over and over again.

She still couldn't believe that Daryl was related to this man in front of her. The stories he'd told her left her stunned that they had the same upbringing. And she hated that they had the same blue eyes, she hated that there was even one thing she could admire about the man.

It was obvious Merle didn't recognize her, she doubted he'd even remember the encounter, he'd been so high that night. Her eyes shifted over to Glenn who only briefly glanced over at her, but she could see the look in his eye telling her not to say anything. If Merle knew she was connected to Daryl in any way, that would just give him more leverage over her, and they didn't trust him in the least.

She noticed the knife strapped to where his hand used to be and had to stifle a shudder. No, she didn't trust him at all.

Her mind was running rampant, she could barely focus on the words coming out of his mouth, she just stared at him in shock.

She was torn, she didn't want him around, not after the first impression he'd given her when he grabbed her ass and kissed her neck, slurring sloppily to meet him in the bathroom for some 'fun'. She didn't want the scum bag anywhere near her or her sisters.

But she had to think of Daryl. This was his brother, not a very good one, but it was still his blood and he deserved to know he was alive.

"We'll tell Daryl you're here and he'll come out to meet you." Glenn countered Merle's offer as if he was reading Rhiannon's mind. He didn't want him at the prison either.

Rhiannon tightened her grip on her sword as he stepped closer to them, trying to convince them to take him with them, but she knew he was fighting a losing battle, and even if she'd only spent a short amount of time with him, it was enough for her to know he wouldn't take it lightly.

"Come on now. You can trust me."

Rhiannon frowned at his words, finding them to be complete bullshit, but she ultimately looked to Glenn, leaving the decision to him. She hated the thought of playing nice with this guy, but she had to think of Daryl.

"You trust us. You stay here." Glenn told him sternly, his gun never wavering it's aim at Merle.

Before Rhiannon could even blink, Merle was pulling the gun from his jeans and firing blindly in front of him. She was still standing in the entrance of the store, too far away to do any damage to him before he could, but she dropped her bag, running towards the car at full speed and her blood boiled at the sight in front of her.

Her knuckles turned white with the grip she had on her weapon and she stared daggers at the man who held his knife against Maggie's throat an his gun against her head.

"Put it down, darlin'."

Rhiannon flinched at the pet name that she'd only ever heard from Daryl's mouth and she could only stare back at him, looking taken aback. She glanced over at Glenn who was struggling with the thought of _not_ shooting Merle right here right now, but he couldn't chance it, not with Maggie's life on the line.

"Let go of her!" He yelled, sounding panic stricken.

"Put that gun and that mighty fine sword in the car right now."

Rhiannon's jaw clenched and turned her head to look at Glenn who stared back at her, looking defeated. He sighed heavily and threw his gun in the car, giving Rhiannon a hopeless shrug. There was nothing else they could do.

Rhiannon's eyes moved to Merle and she stared at him viciously as she threw her sword in the back, her glare never wavering.

"There you go. Now we're gonna go for a little drive."

"We're not taking you back." Rhiannon sneered at him, sounding more angry than she thought she'd ever sounded. Merle just smiled in response, a wicked smile that looked so different from his brothers, and it made her stomach turn.

"No, we're goin' somewhere else. Get in the car." He told them with a certain wicked tone she'd never heard before. He pressed his gun harder into Maggie's temple, spurring them both into action.

"Ok." Glenn said weakly, knowing they had no other choice.

"Get up front, darlin', don't make this any harder than it has to be." He told her and the way looked at her up and down made her fear he'd remember who she was and what she'd done to him.

She couldn't imagine he'd be happy or willing to let bygones be bygones, and she let out a sigh of relief when he turned his attention away from her, clearly not thinking twice about her.

Rhiannon got to the front seat and slammed the door shut behind her. She immediately turned to look back at Merle who still had a tight grip on her sister. She looked at Maggie fearfully and her eyes began to water, trying to give her a silent plea to do whatever he says and not give him a reason to hurt her.

This wasn't what was supposed to happen today. They were supposed to be in and out and be back with the rest of them by dinner, where they'd eat together like a family and heal together over the one's they'd lost. The thought of her father and Beth back at the prison, oblivious to the danger she and Maggie were currently in made her chest ache.

She was supposed to go to sleep tonight wrapped in Daryl's arms with his hand running through her hair like he always did and their legs tangled together.

 _Be safe._

His words echoed in her mind and her breathing hitched as she remembered the worried look in his eyes as he let her go.

She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about this morning, how he'd woken her up with kisses to her shoulder and the relaxed look on his face that she loved seeing.

But even those memories didn't do much to ease her mind.

* * *

Rhiannon had to at least be thankful that they hadn't separated her from Maggie. It seemed the bastards were sentimental, or completely twisted, she hadn't decided yet.

"It's gonna be ok." Maggie whispered, though the tears that were falling down her cheeks didn't put any truth in her words. "They're gonna come looking for us. Merle wouldn't hurt his brother."

The mention of Daryl made Rhiannon let out a helpless sounding whimper and she closed her eyes shut to stop her own tears from falling.

"Rhiannon." Maggie whispered desperately, sounding even more upset that she didn't get a response from her sister. "We're gonna be ok."

The door suddenly opened, stopping their one sided conversation. Merle walked in first, his face a mask, holding no emotion. Behind him was the man who helped tape them to these chairs who Merle had called Martinez and Rhiannon immediately sent a glare his way.

The last man to enter was tall and clean, he looked like a man she would've seen at a PTA meeting. His demeanor threw her off, he looked to be the leader by the way Merle and Martinez turned to him, as if asking what to do next, but he didn't look the type to hold people against their will.

The man eyed Maggie first, but when his eyes moved to Rhiannon they widened and he looked at her like he was seeing a ghost. She sunk down in her seat as if that would make her invisible. She didn't like the way he was looking at her.

He moved to stand in front of her, looking down at her in awe. Rhiannon knew she had never seen this man before and she didn't know what could've happened to make him look at her the way he was.

The Governor cleared his throat and shook his head slightly, turning back to Merle. "Take her upstairs." He muttered and left the room with a haste that had his henchmen confused.

Rhiannon was deeply shaken by the encounter and she immediately started to fidget in her seat and kick her legs out as Merle and Martinez took off her restraints and hoisted her up, keeping a tight grip on her arms.

"No! No! Let me go!" She screamed, kicking at them and trying with all her might to escape their grips.

"Stop!" Maggie screamed from behind them.

Rhiannon craned her neck, desperate to get one last glimpse of her sister before she was dragged out of the room, having a dreaded feeling that it would be her last look of her.

Maggie let out a pitiful sob as the door slammed shut behind them and she cried heavily, feeling a panic attack coming on as she heard her sister's screams of resistance fade until there was nothing and she was left alone.

* * *

 **OHHH SHIT**

 **I'm so sorry for the late update, I don't know why I had so much trouble with this chapter. But I'm excited for what's next so hopefully I have my mojo back.**

 **So, lot's going on. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm excited to see what you guys think is gonna happen next!**

 **Thank you so much for reading xx**


	43. Chapter 43

The governor let out shaking breaths as his trembling hands fumbled across his desk for the framed picture he looked at everyday.

He used to look at his family and feel a deep pit in his stomach, a familiar longing that made him feel sick. Now, as he stared at the picture and saw his wife smiling back at him, he felt even more sure of himself.

His anxiety was justified. The resemblance was uncanny.

He placed his hand over his mouth and breathed deeply, trying hard to calm his rapidly beating heart. He couldn't believe the feeling that washed over him the second he saw her, the jolt that ran through his entire body. He briefly wondered if he was going insane, as if he'd actually been seeing a ghost.

The sound of the door opening was what finally tore his eyes away from the photo and he was forced to shake himself out of his daze. He stood and quickly made his way to Merle and Martinez who was dragging the struggling girl into the room.

He wished she didn't have that gag in her mouth, he wanted to hear her voice, to know if it sounded the same as his wife's.

He felt something inside of him flutter in a way it hadn't in years as he stepped in front of the woman, his eyes drinking in every inch of her.

"Leave us." He ordered the two men once they'd successfully tied down the squirming woman to the chair.

Merle looked up in confusion, his leader's behaviour unsettling to him. He'd never seen him like this before, the caring glint in his eyes was clear to see, but Merle knew better than to think the Governor was a caring man. He would _not_ be kind to this girl. It wasn't in his nature. He could see a certain kind of sadism he knew the Governor cherished in his twinkling eyes.

"You sure? I can question her, try-"

"Leave us." The Governor repeated, more sternly this time, looking back at his henchmen with a fiery glare.

Merle hesitated for only a second, his confused gaze moving to the girl who was practically pleading with her eyes not to leave her alone with him. For a brief moment, Merle felt his chest tighten. This wasn't part of his job, it never had been and it never would be something he could get used to.

He knew he wasn't a good man, the long list of men he'd killed and would still be willing to kill was proof of that, but he had prided himself all his life on never being the man his father was - never being the type of scum that would hurt an innocent woman. No matter all the shit he'd done his whole life, he always had that fact to redeem himself.

Leaving this woman with the Governor was as good as hurting her himself.

But the way his leader glared at him had him turning his back on her. He was still Merle Dixon, and saving his own ass came first.

Rhiannon stared daggers at her lover's brother as he left the room. Desperation creeped through her veins and she tightened her hands into fists, trying with all her strength to get through the tape that tied her down.

"Easy." The man said, kneeling in front of her and placing his hands over hers to still her movements. "You're gonna hurt yourself. Just relax."

His soothing tone made her stomach turn and want to curl into herself as he leaned in closer to her. Her chest heaved with every heavy breath that expelled through the gag in her mouth.

The Governor noticed her flinch as he got closer to her and he eyed her thoughtfully, his heart clapping against his chest wickedly. He couldn't believe how much she looked like his wife. The long blonde hair, the brown eyes, the faint smattering of freckles on her cheeks and nose. The bone structure was different, the woman in front of him had softer features, but it was still enough of a resemblance to startle him.

His hand moved to graze against her cheek gently and he closed his eyes. He could picture his wife, could pretend it was her as he touched the woman and it made him feel relaxed in a way he hadn't been since her death.

Rhiannon whimpered almost inaudibly as he touched her. She was surprised by the gentleness of his touch but it made her stomach sink and fear the worst, like it was a false sense of security before he hurt her.

"So beautiful." He whispered and she squeezed her eyes shut. She almost wanted him to see her as the enemy, she was sure it would be better than being handled lovingly the way he was, it sickened her. "So real."

His last words made her face crumple in confusion. _Real? What the fuck does that mean?_

She stopped squirming, paralyzed by his obvious attraction to her. It didn't make any sense to her.

The Governor trailed his eyes over her face and the more he looked at her, the larger that feeling of wonder grew, that sense of longing was fulfilled as he tricked himself into thinking he was with the love of his life again.

Andrea had been a nice substitute, warming his bed for a time, but the woman in front of him, she was better than anything he could have ever imagined finding in a time like this.

Rhiannon swallowed thickly, growing more tense the longer he stayed silent. She didn't know what he wanted from her.

She hated the look on his face, the way he looked at her like she was someone so special to her. She briefly thought of Daryl, having seen the same look in his eyes just hours ago and it made her feel even more nauseous.

Her brows furrowed and she eyed him curiously as the admiring look on his face twisted into a sneer as his eyes flashed with anger. His hand suddenly left her face and gripped onto her neck, his gentle touch gone as if it had never been there in the first place.

The white hot anger flared inside him as he stared at the lovebite on her neck, just under her ear. He couldn't help the possessive fury that overcame him as if it was his own wife that betrayed him. He couldn't grasp the fact that the woman in front of him _wasn't_ her, but that relief that she tricked him into feeling was parallelled with the rage he felt that someone had touched her so intimately.

She gasped for breath but failed as he placed pressure over her windpipe and her eyes widened with panic. It only lasted seconds before he pulled away violently, knocking the other chairs at the table over. He leaned against the wall, hanging his head as he fought to control his temper.

 _It's not really her, she's gone. This is only a whore, it's not her._

He repeated the words in his head until his hands stopped shaking and he turned to face her again slowly. He couldn't help the swell of pride he felt at seeing the fearful look in her eyes.

"The other woman, she's your sister, right?" He asked, finally engaging her.

Rhiannon didn't answer him, but the steely look in her eyes that threatened him gave him the answer he needed.

"I'll be back when I'm done with her." He told her and left the room with a triumphant swagger as he heard her muffled shouts curse him.

* * *

Daryl had never been so relieved. He hovered in the doorway of the cell, reluctant to leave Carol's side as Hershel checked her for injuries, as if she'd disappear as soon as he'd turn his back.

He watched solemnly as she reunited with Rick tearfully and looked down at the baby with a mixture of joy and despair, the way everyone had looked at her that first day. He ducked his head, averting his eyes from the scene and he wished Rhiannon was there. She was always better at handling these emotional moments than he was and she always made him feel more calm and comfortable during them.

He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw Carol.

He wished this meant they could all get past the dark cloud that hung over them, that they could finally begin to live peacefully, but the strange woman sitting in the common room made him doubtful.

"Who's she?" He asked gruffly, breaking the mood of the happy reunion in front of him.

"Dunno." Rick replied grimly, the smile on his face gone as quickly as it had come. He looked to Daryl slightly nervously, worried about the hunter's temper. "She showed up with a basket of formula and that." Rick motioned to the backpack he'd taken from the strange woman, the same one Rhiannon had left with that morning.

Daryl's expression darkened and he turned his head, glaring at the unknown woman. Though he tried to hide it, Rick could see the worry in his eyes, something he'd only started seeing from the man once Rhiannon came into his life.

"Come on." He urged the tense man and walked purposefully out of the cellblock, Daryl just a step behind him with his bow clenched tightly in his hands.

His mind was running rampant with horrible thoughts that he had no hope of stopping. He was practically twitching in anticipation, desperate to find out who this woman was and how she'd found them and why Rhiannon, Maggie and Glenn weren't back yet.

"We can tend to that wound for you, give you some food and water and then you'll be on your way. But you're gonna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula." Rick told her forwardly, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

"The supplies were dropped by a young asian guy with two pretty girls. One blonde, one brunette."

Daryl felt his heart sink to his stomach. He knew something was wrong, he knew it as soon as he saw the unfamiliar woman with supplies they needed, but to actually hear it caused an even deeper pit to form inside him.

His hands tightened on his bow as he forced himself not to lose his temper and do something stupid, something he was getting better at thanks to those months spent with Rhiannon.

"What happened?" Rick asked sharply, his own fear rising.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel asked, his voice trembling slightly, revealing just how scared he was for his daughters and the man that was practically his son.

"They were taken?"

"Who?" Daryl barked out abruptly, feeling himself beginning to shake with rage.

"The same son of a bitch who shot me."

The woman's cryptic answer wasn't good enough for them and Daryl kept his bow raised to her head and he ignored whatever threat Rick had given her to make her jump up from her spot. He couldn't focus on them, he couldn't force himself to be present and useful when the only thing on his mind was visions of Rhiannon laying lifeless or hearing her scream in pain.

"Hey, hey, put it down." Rick told him softly and he was brought back to the present where he realized his finger was on the trigger and he was just seconds away from killing the woman.

Daryl hesitantly put his weapon down and he averted his gaze to the floor when he felt his eyes sting with that horrible feeling of tears. Rick noticed his distress and placed his hand on his shoulder, moving his withering glare from the woman to look at his friend with empathy.

"It's ok, we're gonna find 'em."

Daryl just shrugged out of his grip and brought his head up to look at the woman harshly but there was a softness in his eyes that was unmistakable. Something Michonne hadn't expected to see from him. The desperation she saw, like he was pleading silently for something, had thrown her.

Rick turned back to her, knowing he'd most likely get his ass beat if he tried to coddle the archer, and his glare was back in a second.

"You came here for a reason." He pressed, hiding the desperation from his voice, though he could admit he felt antsy to get answers about the people he considered family. He didn't even want to tell Carl, knowing how close he was to Rhiannon.

The woman hesitated slightly, eyeing the men in front of her thoughtfully before answering quietly. "There's a town, Woodbury. I think they were taken there."

"A whole town?" Rick asked in disbelief.

"It's run by this guy, calls himself the Governor. Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type."

That wasn't reassuring. Daryl gnawed at his lip as his mind ran rampant with thoughts of her in the hands of this 'Governor' and the pit in his stomach grew until it ached and made him feel sick.

"He got muscle?" He rasped out, needing to know what he was going up against, what his girl was up against.

"Paramilitary wannabes. They have lookouts on every wall, armed, but we could slip our way through."

"Good." Was all Daryl muttered before he was storming into the cell block, He grabbed the backpack he knew was Rhiannon's and marched up the stairs to the cell he shared with her, throwing the bag down harshly.

He placed his head in his hands and breathed deeply, trying with all his might not to break something and scream out his anger and fear. He clenched his fists tightly when he realized they were trembling slightly.

He looked up, taking in deep breaths as it seemed like the world spun around him. The thought of losing her sent him into a tailspin, it made him feel like he was on the verge of a panic attack that he had no way of stopping.

He couldn't do it, he couldn't live without her, not when he'd finally gotten a taste of something so good.

It took a couple of minutes for him to calm himself down, focusing on the night they'd had together to ground him back to reality and not the million of horrible conclusions he had running through his head.

He sat down on the bunk and pulled her bag into his lap, looking for any kind of hint he could find, if there was blood or anything out of place, he just needed to know - not that it would make him feel any better.

He pulled the zipper down slowly, weary of what he'd find. When he saw the box of chocolate chip cookies on top he let out a breathy laugh. _This is definitely her bag,_ he thought to himself as he smiled down at them almost endearingly.

He didn't know if he loved or hated that something so miniscule could make him feel so much just because it reminded him of her.

He set them aside gently, knowing if she got back and found them missing, she'd kill him. He stiffened at his own thoughts. _When_ she got back. He refused to believe that this was the end. Rhiannon always told him he was stubborn, and he was going to prove just how right she was by not giving up until he found her, no matter how long it took, no matter who he had to take out or how many people stood in between them - he was getting her back.

There was no blood and nothing out of place that signaled she had been hurt, but his heart was still in his throat as he pulled the stuffed animal she'd obviously got for the baby. He was so wrapped up in his own head, his own grief, he didn't hear the footsteps up the stairs and didn't notice Rick standing in the doorway of his cell until he cleared his throat to make himself known.

"That's hers?" He asked, unable to say her name out loud for fear of Daryl snapping at him.

Daryl nodded silently, holding the stuffed animal in his hands. He held it up lamely, forcing back the emotion he felt. "Got this for Asskicker."

Rick's face fell when he saw the toy and his chest tighten as he thought of the woman who'd become like a sister to him, the woman who was practically his son's best friend. She'd done so much for him since the day they met, and it physically hurt him to think that he might no be able to help her when she needed it most.

Rhiannon, Maggie, Glenn, they were all his family and, like Daryl, he wasn't going to give up without a hell of a fight.

"We don't know what we're goin' up against, this place sounds pretty secure."

"So?" Daryl grunted as he busied himself with packing extra weapons, not wanting to focus Rick's calculating gaze on him. "Gettin' second thoughts?" He asked bitterly.

"No, not at all." Rick said immediately, slightly defensive at the notion that Daryl thought he wasn't as concerned about their people, their family, as he was. "But we gotta go in with a clear head, can't afford to make mistakes with their lives on the line."

Rick Grimes wasn't a stupid man, he knew better than to tell Daryl not to run after the woman he loved when she was in danger, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about what kind of mood he was in, especially when he had to rely on him to watch his back.

He trusted Daryl more than he thought he'd be able to if his first impression was anything to go by. But with Rhiannon at risk, he was acting erratic and unstable, the way he used to be back at the quarry.

"I know what I gotta do." Was all Daryl said as he kept his back turned to him.

Rick frowned at the sharpness of his tone and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I ain't saying we shouldn't go help them, I just need you to know that we have to be careful, we don't know what we're gonna find and we can't let it stop us from what we need to do."

Daryl shoulders tensed as Rick's words sunk in. Was he really insinuating that even if Rhiannon was gravely injured or... _fuck,_ he couldn't even think it, that he should just keep powering through?

Rick noticed the dark expression on his face and sighed deeply, stepping into the cell to try and diffuse the fire that he knew was stirring within him.

"I didn't mean it like that. She's a strong girl and she's gonna be fine, we just gotta make sure we're _all_ fine by the end of this." He told the archer thoughtfully, having no doubt that he would take a bullet if it meant saving his girl.

Daryl sighed, knowing Rick meant well and that he was just trying to make sure everyone kept a clear head while fighting and didn't make any stupid mistakes. He finally turned to look at him and nodded slightly, letting him know he understood.

Rick's lips quirked up in a small smile at Daryl's reluctant acceptance and couldn't help but wonder how this conversation would've ended up going a year ago.

"Sorry." Daryl muttered, slightly embarrassed by his outburst. He could tell Rick knew just how scared he was about the whole thing, about the possibility of losing Rhiannon,and he hated that he could be so transparent.

Rick just shook his head, looking at his friend with a small smile. "Don't be. I'm worried too, but I have no doubt they're gonna be ok. Your girl's quite the badass, I wouldn't underestimate her."

Daryl's dark expression finally cracked and he had a hint of a smile on his face as he for once, thought of her without feeling that dreaded pit of worry in his stomach. "Feel bad for those poor sons of bitches that crossed her."

Rick laughed, relieved that he'd finally gotten through to Daryl and he was positive he could count on him not to lose his head while they went in enemy territory. He watched, now more relaxed, as he gathered his things.

"Hey, Daryl." Rick stopped him before he could leave. "Have you really been callin' my daughter 'Asskicker'?" He asked, feigning sternness, but the smirk on his face was a dead giveaway.

Daryl just shrugged. "No one else thought of a better name."

Feeling more at ease, having successfully been talked down from what had the potential to be an incredible fit of rage, Daryl was more determined than ever to storm into Woodbury and bring back his family.

The realization that he was likening Maggie and Glenn to family wasn't new to him, it wasn't scary either. After being showed by Rhiannon how happy he could be if he just let himself, he was more willing to accept people, who he used to see as weak and nothing more than fellow survivors, as his family.

He strode out to the car to put his bags in and noticed Carl coming towards him, his quiet and closed off demeanor worrying him.

"Don't worry 'bout your old man, I'm gonna keep my eye on him." Daryl promised him and the kid just nodded silently. "I'm gonna bring her back, so you better get a smile on your face cause you know she'd hate seein' you frown the way you are now."

Carl looked up at him shyly and nodded, this time with a growing smile on his face. Daryl was pleased with himself and watched as he went off to talk to his father before they left. After their day in the tombs together, he knew why Rhiannon loved spending time with him. Being around the kid had reminded him why they need to keep fighting and it reassured him that the people around them were family and that they needed to look out for each other.

He saw Hershel beginning to approach him and all his good thoughts vanished instantly. The deep seated worry and fear that Daryl felt was mirrored by the look on the old man's face.

"Be careful out there."

Hershel's words made Daryl tense involuntarily. It was what he'd told Rhiannon all morning and now she was in the wrong hands.

"I should've gone with them." Daryl mumbled, his voice laced with guilt. Hershel sighed sadly at the self deprecating tone of his voice and moved forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"None of us could've known this would happen. There's no use in wondering what if. All that matters now is getting them home safe, you included."

Daryl's following silence had Hershel frowning and he knew the man in front of him was plagued with worry. Anyone who knew Daryl and Rhiannon, knew how crazy they were about each other, how important they were to each other, and Hershel knew his daughter meant the world to Daryl and that he was shaken by the thought of losing her.

"Every father worries about his daughters, but in the last year, I knew I never needed to worry about Rhiannon, not when she had you in her life. I know you would never let anything happen to her and I have no doubt you'll bring her back to me safe and sound."

Daryl looked at the old man with wide eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He hadn't expected the thoughtful revelation, certainly not from the father of the woman he loved. Hershel saw the stunned look on his face and cracked a small smile.

"You're a good man, Daryl. More than what I could have hoped for her. Now go get her."

Daryl nodded, still slightly thrown off by his praise. "I will. All of them, they're gonna be ok." He told him.

Hershel tightened his grip on his shoulder briefly, giving him one last reassuring smile before moving back toward Beth who was beside herself with worry.

Daryl fidgeted with his hands, feeling slightly awkward from Hershel's nice words. He wasn't exactly sure if he deserved them, he still had his moments were he felt that Rhiannon could do better, but he meant what he said with all his heart, he would try his hardest to bring them back.

He thought about this morning, laying with her and sharing lazy touches and sweet kisses. He wished he could go back to that moment. He never would've let go.

Rick got into the car and didn't even try to speak to Daryl. The expression on his face told him the man was a million miles away, most definitely thinking about Rhiannon. Rick wasn't sure about their fate, but he wasn't about to voice his worries to the hunter. He would let him stay in his mind with the happy memories as long as he could.

It was the least he deserved.

* * *

The room she sat in was dark now, which only reminded her how long she'd been there. She knew her family back at the prison would know something was wrong. She craned her head, trying to get a glimpse out the window, the night sky only fueling her fear that she wouldn't be getting out of this any time soon.

The man's parting words to her left her shaken. It had been hours since he'd left her alone and his threat of going to see Maggie had her feeling a kind of fear she'd never experienced before. Not even when she was surrounded by walkers did Rhiannon worry for her sister like this. Walkers she could handle, but deranged men? That was a threat they didn't know how to diffuse.

For hours, Rhiannon had been left with only the torture of her own mind, wondering and worrying about what her sister was going through, what they'd done to Glenn, and how Daryl was ever going to find them.

The door suddenly slammed open, making her jump in her spot. Her eyes hardened on the man that approached her, that look of wonder in his eyes that she hated seeing from him.

The Governor pulled a chair out and sat himself in front of her, his calculating gaze locked onto hers, like he was looking for the answer to life's deepest questions in her gaze. He slowly leaned forward and removed the gag from her mouth.

Rhiannon kept her face impassive, not wanting him to know how unsettled he made her, and trying not to flinch as his fingers grazed her skin.

"My name is Philip Blake." He said and motioned for her to speak.

"Rhiannon." She said, hoping she sounded more confident than it had to her own ears.

"Like the song?"

Her jaw clenched tightly and her eyes narrowed in fury at his words. Knowing how much that song meant to her own mother and the connection she had to Daryl because of it made her furious that it could even be in the same realm as the horrible man in front of her. It was like he was inadvertently spitting on the song and what it meant to the people she loved.

Her silent anger made him smirk and he leaned forward, his eyes trailing down her body. "I have to say, you're more impressive than your sister."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and her steely facade bent way to her worry. "What does that mean?" She demanded frantically, pulling at her restraints.

The Governor ignored her and got up from his seat, making his way to stand behind her.

"What did you do t-"

Her words cut off as she felt his hands pulling at the elastic in her hair, letting it fall down to her waist. The way he ran his hands through her tangles made her stomach twist and a shaking breath left her lips.

"I always liked it when it was long." He mumbled, imagining he was talking to his wife who always wore her hair long when she found out how much he liked it.

Rhiannon's lip quivered and she felt on the brink of throwing up. It was if the Governor knew the intimate details of her life, of her relationship, and was purposefully using them to make her feel as sick to her stomach as possible.

The illusion was broken when he swept her hair to the side and saw the tattoo she had on the back of her neck. He sneered at the sight, the harsh reality that this was _not_ his beloved wife hitting him hard.

His fingers traced over the black ink, making her shoulders tense under his touch. His jaw clenched and his nails dug into her skin, as if he could simply scrape the art off her body that made it all too obvious who she wasn't.

Rhiannon winced and tried to pull away from his touch to no avail. His hand in her hair, pulled her back against the chair, keeping her close to him.

"You look so much like her. It scared me at first, but seeing this, seeing what you've done to your body…" He trailed off and moved to stand in front of her, his hand pulling her arm to the side to expose her other tattoos.

"Don't fucking touch me!" She yelled, writhing in her seat to desperately shake his touch.

The Governor's eyes darkened and he glared down at her pointedly. His hand reached out to grasp her jaw hashly, making her look at him. The fact that she looked so much like his wife made her rejection sting.

"You really think you can get away with talking to me like that?" He threatened with a low growl. He pushed her away, making her head hang against her chest.

Rhiannon closed her eyes and pleaded silently for Daryl, for _anyone,_ to find her and take her away from this deranged man.

His grasped her long locks and pulled her head up to look at him. His harsh gaze zeroed in on the hickey on her neck again and he visibly flinched when he looked at it.

"You're a whore and I hate that you remind me of her when you're nothing like her." He paused, staring down at her with a crazed look in his eyes. "I'm gonna make you better."

Rhiannon looked up at him in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about, but the sadistic look in his eyes let her know it wasn't anything good. Before she could question him or even try to guess what the hell he planned to do to her, he reached out and ripped her nose ring clean out.

A cry of pain left her lips before she could even comprehend what had happened. The burning ache in her nose left her gasping and she could begin to feel blood trailing down to her lips.

The Governor smiled down at his work, throwing the stud across the room. _I need to fix her, make her into what she needs to be._

"You sick fuck." Rhiannon breathed out, glaring up at him. "I'm never gonna be who you want me to be, you fucking delusional-"

He slapped her across the face and smiled at the sound of the whimper that left her lips. Rhiannon breathed heavily, trying to keep her emotions in check. She thought of Daryl, going to her happy place she didn't know existed until now. She always thought that kind of thing was bullshit, but thinking of her man actually managed to calm her racing heart.

The sound of a belt buckle being undone made her happy thoughts come crashing to a halt. Her eyes snapped open and she began to cry openly with no shame as she watched him take his belt off.

 _No, no, no, not this, please._ She wanted to beg him but she knew it wouldn't make a difference, it would probably only heighten his hard on for her.

"I liked it better when you didn't talk." The Governor told her with a sick smile and wrapped his belt around her neck. He stood behind her and pulled at both ends, cutting off her breathing and making her choke and squirm desperately.

She felt her airways being crushed and she worried that it wouldn't be long until he crushed her trachea. She gasped, her nails digging into her palms and her eyes going wide when she began to see black spots in her vision.

The door burst open just as she felt on the brink of passing out. The grip on the belt went slack, finally allowing her to breathe. She gasped, letting out harsh, wheezing breaths, each cough hurting her throat even more.

The Governor looked up at Martinez whose eyes briefly cast down to Rhiannon, a slight disturbed expression on his face before he quickly masked it and looked to his leader.

"The prisoners escaped."

The Governor went rigid and he stepped out of the room without a look back. Martinez spared another glance at the girl who coughed and gasped for her breath back, a chill running down his spine the way it did every time he saw who his leader really was.

He closed the door as he left, leaving Rhiannon to cling to the small shred of hope she had that Daryl had found them.

* * *

Maggie's mind spun as she was pushed quickly into a dark room. She breathed heavily as Daryl cut at the binds on her wrists.

"You ok?" He asked, looking at her with concern as he placed his hands over her trembling ones. She nodded, looking slightly stunned. "Where is she?" He asked desperately, the frantic tone of his voice revealing just how scared he was.

Maggie looked up at him with tears in her eyes and the fearful look on her face left him breathless. "I don't know. They separated us as soon as we got here."

Daryl hung his head, breathing deeply through the lump that formed in his throat. His hands shook and he held onto his crossbow tighter, forcing himself not to lose his head.

"Where's that woman?"

"Think she went to look for Rhiannon?" Glenn asked, confused by the new face he'd seen. He certainly didn't think Rick was stable enough at the moment to consider bringing in new members.

"I'll go out, try an' catch up with her and find Rhi." Daryl offered, already beginning to head for the door.

"No. We gotta get them out of here." Rick told him.

"Fuck that, we ain't leavin' her here!" Daryl yelled, ready to throw fists if Rick didn't let him go.

"I'm not saying we are, but Glenn's in no position to fight, we have to get him out of here before we do anything else." Rick countered sternly, the icy tone in his voice shutting Daryl up. Rick cared for Rhiannon and he hated that Daryl could think that he would so callously forget about her.

"Daryl, this was Merle. He did this." Glenn spoke up, causing everyone in the room to stop, the frantic energy of the room dissipating to a tense and unmoving silence.

"You saw him?" Rick asked when he noticed Daryl was stunned to silence.

"He threw a walker at me. He was gonna execute us."

"My brother's this governor?" Daryl asked with a shaking voice.

"No, it's somebody else. Your brother's working for him." Maggie answered.

Daryl drowned out the voices around him and for the first time since this disaster started, his mind drifted from Rhiannon. His brother was alive. And here. And had been the one to take his family to a place where they almost died, where his girl was still missing and in God knows what condition.

He rubbed at his temples, feeling like he was getting the migraine from hell. He didn't know what to think. For the first time in his life he was happy and that life he created didn't happen to involve Merle. He didn't know what that meant he was supposed to do.

He was snapped out of his daze as they started hauling Glenn back to his feet and moving towards the door.

"Hey, if Merle's around, I need to see him." He stopped them.

"Not now. We're in hostile territory."

"He's my brother-"

"Look at what he did! We don't even know what he could've done to Rhiannon. We need to go." Rick barked at him, feeling like he was losing control of the mission. They were still a person short and he didn't know how they were going to find her. He felt like he was beginning to lose his cool again.

"Daryl, we need you. We need to find her." Maggie pleaded with him, her face shrouded with sadness.

Daryl nodded, knowing that Rhiannon would most likely be hurt and that came before anything else. He shook his head, cursing himself for being stupid. How could he even think about derailing from the plan, thinking about anyone but her at a time like this? He swore under his breath and started pulling out the smoke grenades from his bag.

Rick counted down and then they were sneaking out of the room under the cover of smoke. It became clear to Daryl quickly that they didn't have a plan, not a good one at least. The more time the spent shooting and wasting time so they could get Maggie and Glenn out, the harder it would be to find Rhiannon.

If everyone knew where they were, they couldn't sneak around to find her. They needed to rethink their plan to find her and Daryl didn't care if he had to do it alone.

"Daryl, let's go!" Rick yelled to him.

"Go, I'll cover you!"

Daryl shot at every man he saw, ignoring the shouts from behind him. He breathed deeply and began walking deeper into the enemy lines.

Soon, more and more men surrounded him, pointing their weapons at him. His heart raced as he moved towards them, throwing his gun down and holding his hands up in surrender.

 _Don't worry, darlin'. I'm coming for you._

* * *

 **So sorry for the long wait again! I'm excited but dreading what's coming next.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed on the last chapter! xx**


	44. Chapter 44

_Daryl bit his lip to hide his smile as he watched her. The muttered curses she spat out through gritted teeth would've had her father scolding her to no end if he were in the room._

" _Stupid bitch!" She yelled, throwing her ripped jeans across the room._

" _Problem?" Daryl spoke up, finally alerting her to his presence. She looked up, a bush covering her cheeks at being caught during her outburst._

 _He picked up her jeans that she had unknowingly thrown at him and moved across the room to sit next to her. He grasped her hand in his gently, wiping the drop of blood from her thumb with the rag he kept in his back pocket._

" _Thought Carol taught you how to sew."_

" _She did, I'm bad at it." Rhiannon muttered, watching him thoughtfully as he held her hand, looking for any more injuries her clumsy work had given her._

" _I can help." He said somewhat shyly, inspecting the stitches she'd butchered._

" _You know how to sew?" She asked in disbelief, her amused expression making him even more self conscious, it wasn't exactly a manly skill he wanted to brag about._

 _He shrugged. "Taught myself when I was younger."_

" _Of course you did." Rhiannon laughed._

" _Couldn't afford to buy new clothes so I had to figure it out." He muttered, taking the needle and thread from her._

 _Her smile faltered and she regarded him silently, watching with fascination as he worked, doing a much better job than she had. He kept his eyes glued to what he was doing even though he could feel her eyes on him. He didn't like opening up about his past, especially after seeing how she had lived when she was younger._

 _The Greene's farm house was like a palace compared to some of the places the Dixon family had lived._

 _Rhiannon knew exactly what was going through his mind, that regretful look in his eyes she noticed whenever he spoke about his past a clear indicator._

" _You don't need to be embarrassed. Lots of people lived like you did. It's not your fault you had to." She said quietly, as if she'd spook him and he'd bolt out of the room if she spoke any louder._

 _Daryl finally tore his eyes away from what he was doing to look down at her, seeing nothing but sincerity in her gaze. He was always amazed by how she could put things so delicately while expressing exactly what he wanted to hear._ It's not your fault your dad spent his money on beer and prostitutes, _is what she'd meant and he loved that she could say it without being so blunt._

 _In their experience, Rhiannon's bluntness hadn't always ended well for them. He still regretted ever pulling away from that first kiss and the words he'd said._

 _He nodded slightly and looked back down at his work, finishing quickly. "There, good as new."_

" _You never fail to impress me, Dixon."_

" _You're easy to impress, Greene." Daryl said back teasingly making her roll her eyes at his words that were said to undercut her praise._

" _Just take the compliment you stubborn man." She said with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck._

 _Daryl let a smile work its way onto his usually passive features and pulled her into his lap, his hands holding securely onto her hips. She leaned her forehead against his and he found himself at a loss for words as he stared into her big brown eyes._

" _Think we can sneak in a quickie before we have to go on that run?" She said quietly, biting at her lip the way she knew drove him crazy._

 _Daryl's eyes widened and he stared at her like he was in a trance. His cheeks flared red and he shifted slightly beneath her. His mouth opened but he found himself unable to articulate just how much he wanted to say yes. She turned his mind to mush._

 _Rhiannon noticed the flash of arousal in his eyes and took that as his answer, immediately crashing her lips to his. Daryl responded instantly, letting out a low moan at the feel of her lips, something he thought about every day._

Daryl's breath heaved as a hard punch was thrown to his stomach and he crumpled to the ground.

 _The sound of Rhiannon's soft giggle as he ran his hands over her thighs had him smirking against the skin of her neck._

He squeezed his eyes shut and bit back a groan as they kicked him over and over, causing him to curl up in a ball on the floor.

He coughed, panting heavily as the man pulled away, finally giving him space to get his breath back.

"Where is she?" He muttered, forcing himself to get up from the floor.

The man who was assigned to 'interrogate' him just smirked wickedly and punched him across the jaw. Daryl grit his teeth and his body went rigid, steeling himself for more.

"Where the fuck is she?!" He screamed, his voice hoarse and raspy.

The man looked at him quizzically, the frantic tone of his voice amusing him. "You're talkin' 'bout that pretty blonde thing, right?"

Daryl's eyes narrowed and the fear he tried so hard to hide but ultimately failed, had the man grinning.

"You're lucky to have her, she's quite a sight. The Governor sure likes having her 'round. I sure as hell wouldn't mind spendin' some quality time with her."

A fire stirred within him and before he could even register what he was doing, a growl left his throat and he threw himself at the man, punching him squarely in the nose and trying to get his hands around his neck.

The door behind him slammed open and more men poured through, pulling Daryl off the stupid man that dare speak about his girl that way. They tackled him to the ground and they were almost entertained by the way he squirmed and thrashed viciously in their grasp.

They hauled him to his knees and tied his hands behind his back. Daryl didn't care if they were taking him away. He obviously wasn't where Rhiannon was and he figured they were smart enough to know he was there for her and sadistic enough to get them together so they could watch as they 'interrogated' them together.

Daryl glared up at the men who stood around him, their guns trained on him incase he flipped out again.

He could only hope these men hadn't been anywhere near her, but he wasn't stupid, he knew what men like them would do to a beautiful woman like her. He clenched his fists, having to force himself not to start throwing punches again.

 _Rhiannon gently trailed her finger over his arm that laid over her waist, making him shiver slightly. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shifted closer to her, nuzzling his head into her sweat slicked skin and sighing happily._

" _I'm glad I met you." Rhiannon said, her voice barely above a whisper so as to not disrupt the quietness that surrounded the room, a stark contrast to the noise they were making just minutes before._

 _Daryl couldn't help but smile, his stomach jumping at her words. He pressed his lips to her collarbone and wrapped his arms around her waist tighter._

" _Best thing I ever found." He mumbled tiredly._

"Get him up."

Daryl was forced to his feet roughly, his view obstructed by the bag over his head. He struggled and dragged his feet as they pushed at his back to get him moving, making it as complicated as possible for them.

He didn't know where they were taking him but he could only hope it was to where she was. That feeling began to dwindle when he heard a voice shouting.

"This is one of the terrorists."

The tight grip the henchmen had on him left as they pushed him forward into the crowd and he struggled with all his might, feeling his joints pop as he tried to worm his way out of his binds. He was stopped abruptly and the bag was ripped from his head.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden bright lights and looked up. As soon as his eyes adjusted, they widened in shock. Glenn's words about Merle were shocking enough, but seeing his brother face to face for the first time in almost a year made his stomach drop.

Merle stared back at him and Daryl couldn't remember a time when he'd seen his big brother stunned to silence. The emotion he saw swirling in those familiar blue eyes was surely something he'd never seen before.

He shifted from side to side, his eyes roaming over the crowd as they chanted and scream for their blood. He moved in circles, trying desperately to find that familiar face he was desperate to see.

He felt his heart jump when his gaze landed on a head of blonde hair, but his shoulders deflated when he saw the face, then immediately tensed in surprise when he realized he was staring back at a shocked Andrea. His brows furrowed dangerously as he looked at her and she shifted under his watchful eyes.

Daryl swallowed thickly and forced himself to tear his eyes away, she wasn't what he was looking for. He turned his head and his body went frozen like he had ice water running through him. His glare turned murderous when he noticed the familiar weapon strapped across one of the henchmen.

It was hers. He'd know it anywhere, he sure spent enough time admiring it, something she'd continually tease him for.

The Governor stood in front of him, blocking his view, making him pace angrily behind him.

"You wanted your brother. Now you got him." He said to Merle, taunting him like a schoolyard bully.

Daryl looked to his brother, his face softening at the bewildered look on the older man's face. Had Merle really been looking for him, had he really cared enough to talk about him to his group? He suddenly felt guilty that he hadn't.

His thoughts were broken and he was suddenly on high alert of his surroundings as the Governor began to circle them like a predator. His shoulders stiffened as he readied himself for a fight.

His binds were broken and he grit his teeth, knowing what his freedom meant. He knew there was no way the two of them were getting out of this.

"I asked you where your loyalties lie." The Governor started, his harsh glare focused on Merle. "You said here. So prove it. Brother against brother, winner goes free"

Merle looked at his brother and felt his heart clench in a way that was so foreign to him. As his brother stared at him with fear that he tried to so hard to hide, Merle was reminded of his little brother who used to hide behind him when their daddy came at them with his belt.

Merle always took the beatings, always protected his baby brother. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head, unable to look at him. It was as if he was seeing that same six year old boy in front of him.

The gut wrenchingly happy laugh that escaped the Governor had both of them turning their heads to face him. He stared at something outside their line of vision and Daryl felt his heart beginning to race, having a sick feeling what was about to happen, and he began to bite at his lip.

"A little incentive." The Governor said, his eyes staring right into Daryl's, like he knew exactly who he was and what he was thinking about.

A commotion behind the crowd had him snapping his attention over and he waited with bated breath, dreading what he was about to see.

The Governor's henchmen came into view and the small figure they were dragging as she kicked and fought against him had him letting out a pathetic sounding whimper he didn't even know he was capable of making.

He could see from where he stood how she trembled in his grasp. The small trickle of dried blood he noticed on her nose made white hot rage crash into him.

She looked so frightened and when her eyes met his, a pitiful sob left her lips and she mouthed his name, like a silent plea for him to save her.

Daryl growled fiercely and lunged forward, desperate to wrench the man's hands off her. Within seconds, a group of men pulled him back and threw him to the ground, blocking his path to her.

The Governor tightened his grip on Rhiannon's arms, keeping her in place as she squirmed and tried to run to Daryl. Her breath came out in shaking pants and she began to feel that tremble of panic run through her veins as she looked across the crowd of people that spat curses and threats at her.

"He's quite the fighter." He mumbled in her ear, his amused tone making her cringe and shrink back from him.

"Don't fuckin' touch her, you son of a bitch!" Daryl yelled viciously at the man who held his girl with a sickly satisfied smile on his face.

He noticed Merle look at him questioningly, confused by his outburst of affection for the strange girl and surprised by how scared he looked. He never knew his brother to care about anybody, he never would've thought he'd seen the day when he laid his heart out on his sleeve.

They hauled Daryl back to his feet and she shivered at the murderous expression on his face. If looks could kill, the men around them would be dead five times over. His eyes moved over to her and his face softened, the desperate look in his eye sending a spike of pain through her chest.

"Fight to the death." The Governor continued, throwing Rhiannon to one of his henchem so he could move closer to the brothers. "Winner decides her fate."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked to Daryl fearfully. The scared look on his face was something she didn't see often, maybe only one or two times before, but it made her stomach twist in sadness every time.

She finally noticed Merle, her nervous gaze studying him carefully. He cared about his brother, that's how they got into this mess in this first place, so he wouldn't hurt him, would he? She didn't know him well enough to be comforted by her wondering.

"Phillip, please. Don't do this."

The scared voice she heard made her head snap to the side. Rhiannon's mind went blank when she saw Andrea. She was relieved to see she was alive, but seeing her pleading with the man who had tormented her like they were so comfortable with each other made her weary to trust her. Andrea knew his name, knew who he was, so why wasn't she in shackles like her?

Andrea looked at Rhiannon regretfully. They never really got close on the farm, but she knew the girl well enough to know she didn't deserve whatever the hell Phillip had done to her.

Rhiannon saw her mouth an 'i'm sorry' and she looked away, unable to decipher what she was feeling at the moment.

The Governor ignored her pleas and looked to the brothers, raising an eyebrow in impatience, silently telling them to get on with it.

"Ya'll know me. I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to prove -" Merle yelled, turning swiftly and punching Daryl in the gut.

Rhiannon screamed and pushed at the man that held her back.

" -that my loyalty is to this town!" Merle yelled, delivering kicks to Daryl's chest as he spoke.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched Daryl fight for breath and look up at his own brother with betrayal.

"Stop, please!" She yelled frantically.

Daryl writhed on the ground as Merle beat him. He could hear his pulse in his ears like a deafening drum beat, the crowd surrounding them turning to a low hum in the background. Through it all, he heard her voice, her teary, pleading voice that begged Merle to stop.

He had to do something. He couldn't kill his brother, but he had to do something to make sure she stayed safe. He grit his teeth and forced himself to sit up, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to knock him back down, and punched his brother across the jaw, making him stumble back a few steps.

The sound of walkers growling had Rhiannon tensing and freezing in shock. She watched in horror as they corralled the walkers into the arena. The man holding her grabbed her roughly and shoved her forward, making her yelp as the snarling walker got closer to her.

"Keep squirming, sweetheart." The man warned her darkly, before pulling her back into him.

Rhiannon relented, not wanting to be thrown at a walker while she had no way to defend herself, and stayed still. She watched Daryl fight with his brother with a deep frown on her face as she tried to stop her panicked tears from falling.

Her brows furrowed when she noticed the fighting had stopped, they looked to be speaking to each other. She tensed her shoulders, preparing herself to fight back, she knew Daryl definitely wouldn't just lay down and take this situation, she knew she should've been expecting him to revolt.

She watched with relief as Merle hauled Daryl back up to his feet to stand back to back and push back the walkers that were forced closer. She was twitching with anticipation as they punched at the walkers instead of each other.

The man holding her was getting frustrated with the turn of events and pulled his gun from his waistband. Rhiannon felt him move behind her and before he could put his gun to her head to threaten the brothers to keep fighting each other, she threw her head back, hearing a satisfying crack as she hit him directly in the nose.

His grip on her went slack and she fell to the ground. His angry, bloody face stared down at her dangerously and before he could aim his gun on her again, she threw her leg up, kicking him firmly in the groin.

He collapsed to his knees, groaning in pain. He snarled down at her and Rhiannon grit her teeth, knowing she was out of options. She couldn't overpower him physically, he towered over her, and she had no weapons.

She crawled backwards and suddenly his head threw back as a shot ran out and he fell to the ground motionless.

Rhiannon gaped at the scene in front of her as chaos erupted. Shots fired and the people of Woodbury fell. She got to her feet ungracefully and yelped as a walker lunged towards her and pushed at its chest as its dead arms clawed desperately for her.

Daryl punched one of the men from Woodbury and turned to where he last saw Rhiannon. His heart raced in his chest to the point where it was worrying and his eyes frantically searched for her.

His stomach dropped when he saw her fighting off a walker. His expression went dark and stomped towards her, grabbing the walker by the shoulders and practically throwing it to the ground, stomping on its head so it wouldn't get back up.

Rhiannon looked up at him with wide eyes and the screams and gunshots around them went silent. Her chest heaved and she whispered his name, feeling dizzy from everything that had happened in just the span of a day.

Daryl gripped onto her shoulders to steady her and his eyes moved over her face to check for any injuries. The sight of the dried blood on the side of her nose made his blood boil and a low growl involuntarily left him when he noticed her nose ring was gone.

He couldn't even imagine what that had felt like and it made him want to put a full clip into the Governor for putting his hands on her.

"You ok?" He breathed out, the vulnerability in his voice sounding foreign to him.

She nodded and reached up to place her hand on his cheek, frowning at his blackened eye. Without waiting any longer, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a vice like grip.

Daryl gripped onto her as tight as he could. Holding her made him feel like he could finally breathe again. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out shaking breath as he breathed in the smell of her hair which instantly calmed him despite everything that was happening around them.

"Daryl!" He heard Merle call out to him through the cover of the smoke from the grenade Rick had thrown.

Daryl looked up, noticing his brother looking at him in disbelief, his eyes moving to the woman in his arms. His face hardened, realizing Merle had seen him at his most vulnerable, with his biggest weakness wrapped around him. He never wanted Merle and Rhiannon to meet, it wasn't something he thought he'd have to worry about, but now, he was scared about how they would react to each other.

"We gotta go." He told her, reluctantly pulling away, but kept his hands on her waist to guide her through the panicking crowds of people.

As they began to make their way through the arena, Rhiannon noticed the man with her sword strapped across his back. She grit her teeth and ran off towards him, ignoring Daryl screaming at her to stop.

Thankfully the man hadn't noticed her coming, having been preoccupied with a walker that had come loose from its chains. She kicked at the back of his knees and he went down in a second. She pulled at the strap of her sword as he struggled to keep the walker in front of him at bay while trying to push her off of him.

A loud shot made him crumble to the ground and the walker fell beside him just a second later. Rhiannon looked up with wide eyes and her tense body sagged in relief when her gaze locked on Maggie's, her sister looking back at her with concern.

Maggie sent her a nod and aimed her gun at another walker, clearing a path for her.

She pulled her sword from under the dead weight of the man and pulled the strap over her shoulder, running back to Daryl who was already running towards her, his crossbow back in his hands. He took hold of her hand and together they ran towards Rick and Maggie.

Rhiannon spared a quick glance at Merle as he trailed behind them and she quickly turned forward the second she noticed his gaze shift to her.

As soon as she was within arms reach, Maggie rushed to her sister and wrapped her arms around her, making Daryl reluctantly let go of her hand as she was practically pulled along as they left the arena.

"Come on, we gotta go." Rick urged them, giving Rhiannon a nod, the relieved expression on his face enough to make her feel safe again.

Rhiannon stayed close to Maggie as they squeezed themselves through the front gates of Woodbury. She could feel her sister's eyes on her and she knew the millions of questions she'd have to answer soon. What the Governor did to her, the way he looked at her, she didn't want to even say it out loud.

"Where's Glenn?" She asked with a trembling voice.

"He's fine. He's waiting for us." Rick reassured her.

"Is he hurt?"

Maggie's pursed her lips and she moved her eyes over to Merle, her expression turning dark. "He'll be ok." She answered tersely, not wanting to get into the blame game until they were far away from Woodbury.

"We ain't got time for this!" Merle yelled at them and he motioned for them to follow him into the cover of the trees.

"Let's go!" Daryl called, noticing their hesitation to listen to his brother. He held out his hand for Rhiannon and she sighed deeply before taking it in hers, letting him lead her forward.

She didn't care that being around Merle made her feel sick, she needed Daryl close after what she'd been through, and if that meant shoving her pride away and the urge to punch his brother, she was willing to do it.

Merle turned to make sure they were actually following and his eyes zeroed in on his brother's hand intertwined with the blonde girl's. He furrowed his brows and looked up Daryl incredulously, like he thought he was playing a joke on him.

Daryl immediately let go of her hand, seeing the judgmental look on Merle's face and strode forward so he was a couple steps in front of her.

Rhiannon watched him with barely contained frustration. It took a long time for Daryl to feel comfortable showing the slightest affection towards her in front of the others in the group, but with Merle back, it was like they were stuck at square one again.

The group walked in silence, each of them on edge, worried about the threat of the Governor trailing them. Rhiannon kept her head down, feeling hurt by Daryl's sudden cold shoulder. She didn't know why she expected him to be any different with Merle around, the stories she'd heard certainly didn't make her eager to meet him or for Daryl to be reunited with him.

She jumped in surprise when a hand was placed on her shoulder, but immediately relaxed when she looked up at Rick's concerned face. His eyes shifted down to her bloody nose where her piercing was missing and his expression darkened.

"You alright?"

"Good as I can be." She replied vaguely, keeping her gaze forward to avoid the sorry look on his face. She missed the way Rick looked back at Maggie wearily, both holding similar looks of concern for her. "Are you?" She said, turning to Maggie, who just nodded minutely and looked down at her shoes.

Rick looked back and forth between the sisters and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had two women who he cared for as sisters unusually quiet and closed off and he didn't know how to approach them or what he could do for them. He didn't want to push for answers, he dreaded what they were.

Rhiannon ignored Rick's gaze that she could feel burning a hole in her back and quickened her pace so she was in step with Daryl.

He looked down at her, his eyes full of regret for how he'd pulled away earlier and his eyes flickered over to Merle to make sure he wasn't watching.

"You hurt?" He asked lowly, looking at the dried blood on her nose. He couldn't help but fear what else she had suffered at the hands of that deranged man.

"Not anymore."

Daryl reached for her hand and squeezed reassuringly in response, his chest tightening at the tone of her voice. He hated that he kept hearing that. He had heard that detached tone before after Shane, after the store, and after Tomas. After each one he swore it was the last time, but he kept failing.

"Why were you there?" She asked, suddenly realizing that he had been there alone while Rick had been the one to come to the rescue. It wasn't like Rick to let them split up or to let someone be bait, especially in a situation like that.

"Had to find you." He shrugged, like it was the easiest decision he'd ever made. Rhiannon's lips twitched with the briefest effort to smile and looked at him lovingly, leaning in closer to him.

They continued to walk in tandem as the sun began to rise. Merle stole a glance back at them and Rhiannon felt Daryl tense beside her, but he at least kept his hand intertwined with hers instead of pulling away.

She looked over at him questioningly, but he ignored her gaze and gave Merle a warning look when he smirked at the sight of them. He thankfully kept his mouth shut, something Daryl thought he'd never see in his lifetime.

Rhiannon wanted to ask him what happens next, but she was scared of the answer.

They walked a little longer and right when Rhiannon was starting to get tired and pull her puppy dog eyes to Daryl to convince him to give her a piggyback ride, she heard Rick call out to Glenn and relief hit her full force when she heard him answer.

Rhiannon ran ahead towards him and her lips parted in surprise when she saw the state of him. "Holy shit, are you ok?"

Glenn nodded and pulled her into a hug. "God, we were so worried about you. We didn't know where he took you, we thought…" He trailed off, unwilling to finish his thought.

"Now we got a problem here. I need you to back up." Rick interjected wanting to fuse the fire before it started.

Glenn pulled away from Rhiannon and as soon as he noticed the straggler at the back of the group, he stepped in front of her protectively and pulled his gun out.

As chaos erupted around them, Rhiannon finally noticed the new member. The woman had her katana up and her eyes were murderously locked on Merle. She stayed quiet and moved to the side, not having the energy to fight. She honestly didn't know which side she was on, she didn't know whether to stick up for Merle or not.

His affiliation with Daryl made her lean one way, but just knowing the kind of person he was had her hesitant, not to mention, it was his fault they were in this mess in the first place.

She was snapped out of her thoughts and knew it was time to step in when she heard Daryl yelling at Glenn who had his gun trained on him, well Merle, but Daryl bravely stood in front of him.

"Just drop it, please." She said, quietly pleading with Glenn not to make this any more difficult, but the sound of Merle's amused laughter had her doubting it would get any better with him around.

"Man, look like you've gone native, brother."

"No more than you hangin' out with that psycho back there." Daryl snapped back at him.

Rhiannon winced and looked around, surprised that no walkers had come after them with the amount of noise they were making.

"He is a charmer." Merle joked, making them all simultaneously glare at him. "Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea."

Rhiannon went rigid and looked over at the new woman with confusion. She didn't know what was more confusing, the fact that this stranger knew Andrea, or that Andrea actually had a relationship to that sociopath.

"You know Andrea?" Rick demanded.

"Yep, she does." Merle answered teasingly when the woman stayed silent. "Her and blondie spent all winter cuddling up in the forest."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and looked to him impatiently, wishing he would keep his mouth shut for just ten seconds.

The sound of growls had her turning on her heel.

"I got it." She mumbled to Daryl who started taking his bow off his back and before he could protest, she was making her way towards the lone walker, happy to get away from Merle and all the yelling.

Merle watched her go with a smirk and turned to look at Daryl who looked after her with worry.

"Well, got yourself a spit fire, little brother." Merle crooned, watching with a raised brow as Rhiannon swung her sword at the walker.

"Merle." Daryl warned dangerously, sending him a withering glare to which his brother just smiled in amusement, thoroughly enjoying how defensive he got about that mystery woman.

Rhiannon took her time walking back to the rest of them, not caring that she was missing the conversation. She immediately noticed that Daryl wasn't taking a step closer to her when she was back, something he always did whenever he was on edge, and she just knew it was because of his brother.

"So what you gonna do now, Sheriff? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs, and cowards."

"Merle, shut up!" Daryl yelled and Merle pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on, suddenly fed up with everyone yelling at him.

"Hey, just relax." Rhiannon interjected, stepping in between the brothers and placing her hand on Daryl's chest. He looked down at her and nodded, taking a step back.

Merle scoffed at his brother, looking over at Rhiannon with narrowed eyes, shocked and disheartened by how she'd gotten through to that Dixon temper he had yet to see from Daryl.

"You've been neutered, huh, Darleena? It's pathetic. You bunch of pussies-"

Rick slammed the butt of his gun down, knocking Merle out before he could go on with what would've most likely been an offensive rant.

"Thank god." Rhiannon muttered, rubbing at her temples and walking towards the car. She didn't care that she was acting moody, she hadn't slept in over a day, she'd been in the clutches of some psychopath who had an obsession with her, and she had no patience to argue with a redneck asshole.

She leaned against the car and closed her eyes wishing this was just a nightmare she was about to wake from.

Maggie walked slowly and took her place beside her sister. She was sure she looked just as worn out as Rhiannon did. "I can't wait to get home." She said quietly.

Rhiannon felt a lump in her throat at the mention of the prison and the people that waited for her. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her father and Beth were going through. She knew if he roles were reversed she'd be a going crazy.

Maggie noticed the way her face creased as she tried hard not to cry and quickly reached over to grab her hand and pulled her into a hug. Rhiannon let out a shaking breath and hugged her sister, something that, just hours before, she didn't think she'd ever get to do again.

"What did he do to you?" She whispered. She couldn't help but fear the worst after the comments the Governor had made about her.

Maggie pulled away and averted her eyes downwards. "He didn't...not _that._ " She muttered.

"But he did _something._ " Rhiannon continued. Maggie wasn't acting normal and she knew it was because of what he did to her.

"Not here." Maggie pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. She didn't want to get into this while on the side of the road and with Glenn's worried gaze watching her carefully.

Rhiannon nodded and kept her mouth shut, knowing from experience it was better to give her space when she asked for it and to not push for answers.

She turned on her heel as Glenn approached, letting the couple have their moment. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed Rick and Daryl arguing and felt her stomach drop. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her what was about to happen, but she refused to listen, she refused to believe it.

Her body was stiff as stone as Daryl stormed towards her, his face clouded with barely restrained annoyance.

"Everything ok?" She asked and when Daryl looked up at her she swore she could hear her heart crack into a million pieces. The slightly guilty look he was giving her made her feel nauseous.

He looked down and bit at his lip aggressively. He was so deep in thought, it looked like he was fighting a war in his mind. He was at a crossroads and he didn't know what to do. He obviously didn't want to ditch the only good thing in his life and his new found family, but it didn't seem right to him to just leave his brother. He had to make it work somehow.

Rick walked up to them, his shoulders tense and his face serious. "It won't work."

"It's gotta." Daryl said, almost sounding like he was pleading, knowing the alternative option would kill him inside. "The Governor's probably on the way to the prison right now. Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle."

"I'm not having him at the prison." Maggie was quick to say. After what he did, she would rather give up the prison and go back on the road than live with him.

"Do you really want him sleeping in the same block as Rhiannon or Beth?"

"He ain't a rapist." Daryl spat offendedly.

"Well his buddy is."

Glenn's words made Daryl's blood boil. He clenched his fists and he knew his vision was close to hazing over with red. He looked to Rhiannon who had her arms crossed over her chest protectively.

His heart dropped and he took a slight step towards her, the horrified look on his face enough to ask the question without needing words.

"Fucking hell, No! It didn't happen, but does that really matter? He still did a bunch of other shit that makes him a monster and makes me have zero trust for your brother." Rhiannon yelled exasperatedly.

Daryl let out the breath he'd been holding and though he should have been relieved, he was still dreading what did actually happen, besides getting a nose ring ripped out of her face.

"There's no way Merle's gonna live there without puttin' everyone at each other's throats." Rick chimed in.

"So you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai home with us?"

"Who is she?" Rhiannon asked after stealing a quick glance back at the mysterious woman.

"She saw you three get taken, helped us find you."

Rhiannon was confused to say the least. She thought people like that weren't around anymore. And even though she didn't even know the woman's name, she'd prefer her over Merle.

"She's not comin' back." Rick quickly added.

"Why not? She didn't have to do shit for us, but she did. We could stitch her up, it's the least we could do." Rhiannon said, giving him a pointed look.

"What, so you're gonna stick up for her and leave my brother high and dry?" Daryl asked, his temper beginning to rise.

" _She_ didn't bring me to psychopath!"

Daryl closed his mouth, having no argument for that, and squeezed his eyes shut. "Merle's blood, I can't leave him." He said desperately.

"Merle is your blood. My blood, my family is standing right here and waiting for us back at the prison. And you're part of that family." Glenn told him sincerely.

The longer Daryl stayed silent, the more Rhiannon began to worry and the more she felt her heart break. He began to pace and pull at his hair. He felt like he was being backed into a corner with no way out and was starting to panic. The thought of having to make this choice was unbearable, but he had to do it.

His heart raced uncomfortably fast and every instinct within him told him he was wrong, that he was about to make the worst decision of his life, but he just couldn't leave his brother.

He looked up and locked eyes with Rhiannon, the defeated expression on his face giving everything away. Rhiannon frowned deeply as she tried hard not to cry or scream in frustration.

"Are you really gonna do this?" She asked, her voice sounding weak.

He was startled that she knew what was happening without him having to say anything, but that was always how she'd been, she'd always known what to say and had always been able to read him in a way he didn't think was possible.

"He's my brother." Was all he said, it was the only reason he had.

"Daryl, that's not what we're saying." Glenn stressed, hating the way Rhiannon had turned her back from the group so they wouldn't see her wipe her tears.

"No him, no me. It was always Merle and I before this."

His words were like a knife in the chest. All those stories he'd told her, all the times he'd said he was happier with her than he ever thought was possible, none of it mattered. He spent one hour with his brother and he had already turned back into that man that used to exist before he met her. The man he'd told her that was a follower, that was never happy.

She hated how blind he could be when Merle was involved.

Daryl looked over at Rhiannon, but her back was still turned. He sighed deeply, pinching at the bridge of his nose and stomped off to the car to get his stuff.

The rest of them watched him go with mirrored looks of shock. Maggie turned to Rhiannon and grabbed her shoulder.

"Aren't you gonna do something?" She asked frantically. It wasn't like her sister to just lay down and accept her fate and not fight back. "Rhi, we can't lose him. _You_ can't lose him."

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and pushed past her sister, walking towards Daryl with less confidence than she would've liked.

Daryl looked up at her and the sad look on his face only served to make her angry. _He_ was the one to make this decision, he wasn't just hurting her, he was hurting himself and he was doing it willingly. She didn't get why that wouldn't be enough for him to change his mind.

"So you're really gonna leave? After everything we've been through, you can just walk away?" She questioned, sounding more devastated than harsh, which was the opposite of what she wanted.

"You'd do the same for Maggie and Beth."

"Don't you dare compare Merle to my sisters. This is different and you know it."

"Rhiannon," Daryl pleaded with a weak voice, slamming the trunk closed. He stood in front of her and grabbed onto her hands, pulling her into him. It was then that she could see the tears in his eyes. "This _kills_ me. I never want to leave you, ever, but I don't have a choice. He's my brother."

Rhiannon closed her eyes, finally unable to keep her tears at bay. She let out a full fledged sob when she felt his hand reach up to cradle her cheek and wipe away her tears with his thumb.

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you." He whispered and she shook her head, pulling away from his embrace.

"Don't.

"Rhi-"

"Don't!" She yelled, making him stop. "You don't get to walk into my life, make me risk my sanity to get close to you, make me love you and then just walk away." She spat at him through her tears.

"Rhiannon, please. Don't make this harder-"

"What the fuck do you want me to do, Daryl?" She yelled angrily "Would you let me go?"

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut and looked down at his shoes, feeling his chest constrict until he felt he couldn't breathe. She had a point, if she were the one to walk away, there was no way he would let her go. He would get on his knees and beg and plead for her to stay with him. He punched the side of the car in an thoughtless act of aggression, needing to let it out in some way, and put his face in his hands.

"I thought I meant more to you than this." She whispered, her voice hoarse from trying to hold back from crying.

He looked up and reached for her again, immediately feeling her protest and push at his chest. "Stop!" He growled, holding onto her wrists, ignoring the many eyes he knew were on them at the moment. "Rhiannon, stop." He said, his teary voice finally making her relax and let him pull her into his arms.

"You mean everything to me. But who are we kidding? _You_ with a guy like me? I was in over my head thinking this would work."

"Daryl, that's not-"

"Don't. I know you tried so hard to make me feel like I belonged and I did feel it, but it wouldn't last. I can't count on you to fix me. You don't deserve a fucking science project, you deserve _so_ much better."

"You don't get to decide that for me." She argued, sounding less harsh than before.

Daryl just shrugged, knowing nothing he could say would make her realize. He felt like he was living in a dream for all those months they'd been together, but now he was awake, he was with his brother and he was still that asshole redneck that had no business with the likes of her.

He heaved his backpack over his shoulder and took a hesitant step away from her.

Rhiannon looked up at him, his figure blurred from her tears. "Never leaving my side, right?" She told him with a monotonous voice, repeating what he'd said to her time and time again throughout their months together.

Daryl felt a wave of regret and self hatred wash over him. He let out a shaking breath and wiped at his cheeks furiously, cursing himself for letting the tears fall.

"Makes me wonder if everything else you've told me is bullshit too."

Rhiannon's words were like the final blows that caused the total knockout. How she could question if he loved her was unfathomable to him. He was sure it was physically impossible for someone who had the luxury of being close to her the way he had to not fall in love with her. And here he was throwing it away.

"Rhiannon…" He paused, worrying his voice would break. He just sighed and stayed quiet, knowing telling her how much he loved her would just hurt her.

"Just go." She whispered. "If you're really gonna do this, then go and don't come back cause I can't handle you walking in and out of my life. If this is how it's gonna feel everytime you leave-" She stopped, choking back a sob. "Just go."

Daryl felt a lump in his throat and he knew he was on the verge of breaking. He looked at her, his face full of regret. He couldn't believe that he was the one that was making her cry, that he was the one who was making her so upset. He hated himself for it.

He ducked his head in shame and started slowly walking backwards towards where his brother was waiting for him.

Rhiannon felt her legs trembling and a hand was placed on her shoulder to steady her before she could crumple to the ground. She placed her hand over Rick's and closed her eyes, not wanting to see Daryl walk out of her life.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Rick called out to him.

Daryl looked at him and the heartbreak that was etched on his face was startling for Rick to see. He shook his head. _I don't want to._ "I have to."

He gave Rick one last look and turned his back, knowing he wasn't strong enough to look at Rhiannon, he'd probably cave if he did.

 _What would be wrong with that?,_ a voice in his head asked.

He ignored every instinct to run back to her and walked towards Merle. His brother eyed him curiously, having never seen him look so shaken and upset. They began to make their way deeper into the woods and Merle was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, he could tell anything he said at this point would probably leave him with a bolt in the head.

"Is he gone?" Rhiannon asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah." Rick answered with a heavy heart.

Rhiannon nodded and before she could stop it, a whimper escaped her lips, which soon turned into a full on sobbing fit. Rick was quick to pull her in a hug and hold her to him tightly. He placed his hand on the back of her head protectively and let her cry on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, feeling useless as the woman who had become like a sister to him cried helplessly.

Rhiannon felt another pair of arms wrap around her and she knew it was Maggie, who was absolutely horrified by what she'd just seen.

Despite how she was cradled against Rick and Maggie, she'd never felt so alone.

* * *

 **I have been dreading this chapter, but it had to happen.**

 **I've been planning how I was going to write this since I started this story, so I hope I did it justice.**

 **Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad you all enjoyed how crazy I made the Governor. Next chapter, we'll see some teasing Merle and a depressed Daryl and Rhiannon, sounds fun, right?**

 **More drama is coming! Enjoy! xx**


	45. Chapter 45

She wanted to regret it. She wanted to wish that she never fell so hard so she wouldn't feel so hurt, but she couldn't. Daryl had given her the best months of her life, had made her fall in love the way she never thought was possible and she couldn't regret any second of it no matter how much her heart was aching.

She sighed heavily and leaned her head against the window. They had to stop due to an abandoned car in the middle of the road that blocked their way and she opted to stay behind as Rick, Maggie, and Glenn got out to take care of it.

Her eyes drifted to the woman in the front seat who had been silent this whole time, taking every glare Rick threw at her without complaint. Strangely, she wasn't worried about being left alone with this complete stranger, she'd clearly proven to them that she wasn't a threat.

Rhiannon didn't even want to think about the position she'd be in right now if the woman hadn't stuck her neck out and helped them.

"I'm sorry." The woman blurted out, somewhat startling her. Rhiannon looked at her in bewilderment as she looked back at her apologetically. "It's hard to lose people."

 _Even harder when they do it willingly,_ she thought to herself, feeling her eyes sting for the thousandth time that day as she thought about the sight of him walking away.

Rhiannon stared back at her for a few seconds, surprised by her the genuine kindness in her voice and embarrassed that she'd seen her break down earlier. Not exactly a good first impression.

"Thanks." She muttered and broke her gaze to stare down at her hands that fidgeted in her lap.

"You're Rhiannon, right? I'm Michonne." She introduced herself. She'd heard how the woman had stuck up for her when Rick was so adamant about not taking her back. Michonne figured it'd be smart to extend an olive branch to her only hope of getting in their good graces.

"Did you do that to the Governor's eye?" Rhiannon asked bluntly.

"Yeah."

"Good." She answered quietly and turned her head to look at her, her questioning gaze studying her curiously. "Why did you help us?"

Michonne looked hesitant to answer and turned to look out the front window. "Knew what kind of people they were. Didn't feel right to just let it happen."

"Thank you."

Michonne just shrugged, she felt awkward by her thanks, feeling like some sort of hero. She didn't exactly feel she deserved it. "Anyone would've done the same."

"No they wouldn't." Rhiannon mumbled, turning her attention back to the others outside.

A frown marred her features when she noticed them fighting and she rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed by the drama they were all going through. It was one problem after another.

Her chest ached at the thought of him, but she pushed it aside, squeezing her eyes shut to force him from her mind. He would ruin her if she let him, and she couldn't. He made his choice and she just had to deal with it, whether it kills her or not.

She breathed deeply, knowing she didn't have the energy to deal with this, but stepped out of the car anyway. Rick looked at her with those same pitous, sad eyes as she approached and she immediately wished she'd stayed in the car.

"Everyone ok?" She asked slowly, looking at Glenn cautiously who looked like he was about to explode with rage.

"How could you just let him go?" Glenn asked darkly, making her body run cold with equal anger and despair. "After all that effort, all the risk we took, Daryl just takes off with Merle and you let him."

"Glenn!" Maggie scolded him, her face creased with anger at the way he was blaming her sister. She knew he was high strung and stressed after what they'd been put through and he was just scrambling to find someone to take his anger out on, but it was her sister and she would be damned if she let him talk to her the way he was.

"It's been a long day so I'm gonna give you a chance to take back what you just said. But I swear on my life, you throw him in my face again and you'll never be safe around me." Rhiannon warned him, her voice intimidatingly calm.

"We're up to our necks in shit, we have a whole town after us, and you couldn't reason with him?"

"I tired and it wasn't good enough. What the fuck else was I supposed to do? You're the one who didn't want Merle around. If you hadn't been such a pissy brat about it, we could've worked something out and Daryl would be here!" Rhiannon yelled at him.

"Merle coming back with us would never work." Rick interjected, though with less fury than Glenn was sporting.

"Maybe not, but was Daryl really not worth it to at least try? You didn't even give him a chance."

"Look at what he did!" Glenn screamed, pointing to the bruises on his face. Rhiannon stopped, her face going blank before falling with realization. She thought the governor had been the one to beat him.

"Merle did that to you?" She asked quietly.

"He beat the shit out of me so the Governor was free to visit you and Maggie."

Rhiannon stayed silent, feeling rage bubbling within her. She wanted to run back to the Dixon brothers and let Merle spend some quality time with her and her sword.

"What the hell do you want me to do, Glenn?" She started, sounding tired and dejected. "You want me to run back and find him? Get on my knees and beg him to leave his brother? He already knows Merle's a piece of shit and it didn't matter, he still chose him. There's nothing we can do so just move on."

The group stayed quiet, all of them wondering if she was really speaking to Glenn or herself at this point.

Glenn looked at her wide eyes, his face morphing from the anger that consumed him to a look of horrified realization, like he couldn't believe the words that had come out of his mouth. Her outburst had snapped him out of whatever rage induced haze his mind had been in and he finally realized what he was doing. He hated himself for blaming her for what happened.

"Rhiannon-"

"Move on." She repeated sternly, making him go quiet. She didn't want to hear his apology, she didn't want to keep thinking about Daryl and how she'd been his second choice. It hurt too much.

"Fuck, if you really want me to go get him, I will." She told him, her voice cracking as the dam began to break again and tears swam in her vision. It was the last thing she wanted to do. No matter how much she wanted to beg Daryl to come back to her, she knew it would only end up with the same heart shattering conclusion.

"Rhi," Rick said softly, reaching for her hand to pull her into his arms when he noticed her about to break down again. He looked up and sent a glare to Glenn for how callous he'd been, feeling protective of the broken girl now that Daryl wasn't here to do it.

"I'm sorry." Glenn told her, wincing at the weak sounding apology. "I know this isn't your fault."

Maggie stepped towards him and placed a hand on his arm, motioning for him to follow her back to the car when Rhiannon stayed silent and made it clear she was done talking to him. He sighed, his shoulders sagging in disappointment, and walked with Maggie with his head hung low in shame.

"I don't wanna go back." She muttered once she was alone with Rick.

"You're father and sister are waiting for you." He reminded her and she let out a shaking breath at the realization that her family would be seeing her in such a fragile state once again. Rick noticed her hesitation and sighed deeply. "Carol's alive." He blurted out, hoping the knowledge would help give Rhiannon the courage to face the others back at the prison.

She pulled away from his embrace, her face slack with shock. Her mouth moved but no sound came out.

"Daryl found her hiding out in solitary, she's ok."

The sound of his name made her chest tighten and she placed a hand over her racing heart. Everything that happened in the last twenty four hours made her feel dizzy and she didn't know how to process the news.

"I know it hurts." He continued, his voice low like he was talking her off an edge she didn't even realize she was on. "We can't replace him, but you still have an entire family willing to help you get back up. You're not goin' anywhere and neither are we."

Rhiannon looked up at him, her face still turned down into a frown, but she nodded in agreement. He smiled at her and placed his arm over her shoulder to guide her back to the car.

"Let's go home."

She felt another wave of nerves hit her but complied silently as she got in the back seat. She was anxious to see her family. She was already in a fragile state when she left the prison and her father mentioned that they were going to have a talk about it, she couldn't imagine what they'd have to say to her now.

She kept her gaze out the window, ignoring how Maggie and Glenn looked at her worriedly, and in the case of Glenn, with harbouring guilt and regret.

She zoned out, locked in her own thoughts as they made their way back home. She inwardly sneered at the word. _Was it really a home without him?_

She felt conflicted, Daryl had left her for his family, so shouldn't her family be enough for her to feel at home? She thought it would be. Relying on a man so heavily had never been something she'd let herself fall into, but it had happened with Daryl without her realizing how much she really did count on him to make her feel like herself.

She felt bad for thinking that, like she was back to that person she'd been before the world changed, the person who wasn't even part of her own family.

Soon, they were pulling up to the gates, and sure enough, Rhiannon saw that familiar figure of the person she'd thought she'd given up on.

The lump in her throat that had been there since Daryl left grew until she worried it was choking her. Carol found her gaze through the window and the older woman placed a hand over her mouth and her eyes immediately began to water.

As soon as the car stopped, Rhiannon opened the door and threw herself into Carol's arms. The woman was more than happy to oblige her and held on just as tight.

"I'm so sorry." Rhiannon whispered, worried that Carol thought she'd abandoned her or didn't try to look for her.

"Don't even go there." Carol laughed lightly, immediately dismissing her worries. "I'm glad you're ok."

Rhiannon pulled away from the hug and looked down at her feet. Carol looked at her and frowned, noticing her reserved stature and how unusually closed off she was.

"You're ok, right?" She asked, eyeing her intently.

Rhiannon kept her eyes down, avoiding her gaze. Thankfully she had the perfect distraction as Carl ran up to her, almost throwing her off balance with the force of his hug. She sighed happily, feeling the darkness inside her beginning to dissipate just the slightest at the comfort the child was bringing her.

"You scared me." Carl mumbled against her shirt.

Rhiannon held onto him tighter and swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Carol's eyes drifted from the heart warming scene in front of her back to the car and she was immediately put on edge when she didn't see the person she was expecting. By the way Rhiannon was acting, she was clearly shaken up, and it was unheard of that Daryl wouldn't be by her side while she was in this state.

She thought back to a time when they were on the road, staying in a rundown store for shelter. Rhiannon had been fiddling with her hunting knife, twirling it aimlessly as she stared off into space. Daryl had quickly put a stop to it, grabbing the knife from her and placing his hand over hers, annoyed that she'd been so careless and could've cut herself.

Carol thought it was adorable and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her when she watched Daryl fuss over her protectively.

She never thought she'd see the day where Rhiannon was bleeding and clearly traumatized and Daryl _wasn't_ right by her side. It began to panic her.

"W-where's Daryl?" She asked and Rhiannon turned her head to the side, biting at her lip roughly. "Rhiannon?" She urged, getting more and more worried with each passing second that the younger woman stayed quiet and looked on the verge of tears.

"He's alive." Rick chimed in, knowing it wasn't likely the heartbroken woman could answer. He looked at her hesitantly, wishing he didn't have to explain to Carol what happened in front of Rhiannon when she looked so fragile. "We ran into his brother."

Rick paused again, giving a look to Rhiannon to gauge her reaction. "They went off."

Carol's eyes widened and her lips parted in disbelief. Surely he didn't…she couldn't believe that he would just leave.

"He left?" She asked in shock. She looked over at Rhiannon again and the absolute devastation in her eyes made it clear it really had happened, Daryl really did leave. She shook her head and blinked rapidly to quell the tears she felt building. "But…" She trailed off, still not believing the man who she teased for being so head over heels in love had walked away from it all.

"Is he coming back?" Carl asked, his worried gaze moving to Rhiannon and he was more than a little unnerved by the disant look on her face, like she was so hurt that she was now just going through the motions instead of feeling anything at all.

"Doubt it." She said lifelessly and she felt Carol reach for her hand, holding it tightly. She couldn't force herself to look at the woman, knowing she'd crumble into a mess of tears like she'd been trying so hard not to do the second she saw her crying.

"And Oscar?"

Rhiannon looked up at Carl's question and turned to Rick with her brows furrowed in confusion. "He was there?"

Rick nodded solemnly, the shadow of regret that passed over his features enough of an answer to what happened to him. Rhiannon sighed and shook her head, she wanted this day to be over. She was tired of losing people, tired of feeling that heaviness on her chest that only seemed to grow heavier with each passing day.

After watching Daryl walk away, she felt like she had no chance of ever pushing through it.

The tired members of the broken group began their trek up the path to the prison, Rhiannon protectively curled into Carol with the woman's arm around her shoulders.

Her pace was slow and sluggish as she walked, not having any motivation to go back to her cell where his things were.

Carol could tell the second she noticed her family. She suddenly seemed more alert, more lively, as her pace quickened.

Despite the shame that hung over her like a black cloud, Rhiannon didn't care enough about it to let it stop her from being relieved to see her father and sister. She would deal with the repercussions later.

Beth was the first one to see her, her eyes widening and her mouth curling up into a wide, relieved smile. She pulled away from Maggie and ran towards Rhiannon.

"Thank god, you're ok." She breathe out, wrapping her arms around her big sister. "You're never leaving the prison again!" She said frantically making Rhiannon smile despite everything.

Beth moved to pull away, but Rhiannon didn't let up on her tight grip, keeping her baby siser close to her. Beth frowned and slowly moved her arms back around her. She wondered if she could actually feel Rhiannon trembling against her or if it was her imagination.

Beth's eyes moved to Rick, Carl, and Carol, the ashen expression on their faces making her heart race. She noticed who wasn't there and this time she did pull away from Rhiannon, looking at her quizzically.

"Where's Daryl?"

Rhiannon swallowed thickly and everyone could see her heart breaking even more with each passing second of silence.

"Beth, come on, let's go inside." Maggie said quietly, placing an arm over her shoulders to guid her away from Rhiannon who she was reluctant to leave.

Hershel eyed his daughter carefully as he approached. His eyes drifted to the dried blood on her nose and his face crumpled the way everyone else that looked at her did. He placed a hand on the side of her face and let out a shaking breath.

He didn't know what to say, he had no words to express how happy he was to see that she was ok, or at least still alive. The state she was in, the way her face was clouded by sadness, was enough for him to conclude that she wasn't exactly ok. The absence of Daryl was clear enough for him to put the pieces together.

Rhiannon noticed her father's unrelenting silence and the unfamiliar helplessness in his eyes and without words, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, seeking the kind of comfort only a father could give.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force herself to think that she was finally safe, that she wouldn't be hurt anymore, but the words sounded wrong, like a foreign language she couldn't understand.

"Are you hurt?" Hershel asked quietly and she shook her head, unable to say out loud that she wasn't when she felt like she was collapsing in on herself.

The Governor hadn't hurt her physically the way she'd expected from a sadistic man like him, but what he did to her psychologically was another story.

What Daryl had done to her emotionally was another story.

"Axel got the showers working. Why don't you get cleaned up, we'll talk later." He told her, knowing the last thing she wanted to do was have a heart to heart and open up about all the punches that life had thrown at her the past couple of days.

But he couldn't wait forever. He was worried about his daughter and he knew he had to get to her and help her before it was too late, especially now with Daryl gone.

Rhiannon dragged her feet as she walked into the prison. She never was very fond of the dreary mood the prison effortlessly emanated, but she had tried to stay positive, knowing it was a safe place for her family, but without Daryl, the already depressing looking building seemed even more doomed and desolate.

She spared a quick glance at the new faces she saw, slightly surprised by their presence, but she quickly ducked her head, noticing their curious glances and scurried into the cell block without a another word.

Her chest tightened when she realized she had to go up to the cell she shared with Daryl - used to share with Daryl - to get clean clothes. She slowed her pace to a stop in front of the stairs, not finding the courage or the energy to go up.

"Hey, Rhi?"

She turned slowly at the small voice that called out to her and she sent a look of impatience to Glenn who stared back at her with a guilty expression.

"I just wanted to say sorry again...for earlier. I was outta line, I didn't mean to blame you, we all know there was nothing any of us could do."

Rhiannon stayed silent, keeping her face impassive. Even though she wanted to be mad at Glenn for how insensitive he'd been, she wasn't. She knew he'd been beaten to hell and everyone was over emotional after everything that happened, she didn't blame him for flying off the handle when she felt close to doing it herself.

She just sent him a nod and reluctantly walked up the stairs, feeling it was a better option than to stay and chat with Glenn about all her issues.

Rhiannon bit her lip roughly when she felt it beginning to tremble at the sight of Daryl's things. She moved slowly, feeling like a walker, and sat on their bed. She let out a pitiful sound that was barely a laugh when she saw the cookies she'd picked up at the store sitting on her pillow. Of course Daryl would make sure she still had those.

She wondered if it were possible for her heart to break even more as she looked around the room. The hoodie he wore, that she always stole, was hung up in the corner, the book he had started to read but said was too boring to finish lay on the floor next to a bag of his clothes. Just the sight of it was enough to have her gasping as she tried hard not to cry.

She thought she was going to be ok, but the reminder of his presence had her now doubting it wholeheartedly.

Grabbing a change of clothes and a towel, she tried to keep her gaze focused on what she was doing and not on all the things around her that were like a huge billboard reminding her of the hole in her heart, and practically ran out of her cell and out of the block towards the shower room.

She probably spent more time than she should have, even with the uncomfortably cold water raining down on her, but she felt too numb to care. She just wanted as much privacy as she could get.

Daryl's words rang in her head. He didn't want to leave, she could see how broken up he was, but that just made her feel worse. He had a choice to make and it didn't matter that the one he made hurt the both of them. She hated that Merle had come between them, something she'd worried about for awhile, and something Daryl had reassured her wouldn't happen.

 _Got everything I need right here._

Apparently he hadn't.

She knew Daryl had been pushed to make a bad decision and felt helpless with everyone telling him how his brother couldn't come back with him and she knew Daryl was a good man, one that wouldn't leave his family behind. What made her so angry was that after everything they'd been through together, Daryl considered Merle, the person who did nothing but let him down his whole life, was considered family above the rest of them.

Daryl had once told her he felt like he was finally apart of a real family, and he still picked Merle over them. She didn't believe that blood ran thicker than water, she firmly believed respect and love had to be earned, something Merle hadn't done.

She couldn't believe that to Daryl, Merle meant more even after all the shit he'd done to him. It hurt her that she had done nothing but build him up and she truly believed he'd started to see himself in a different light over the past months, but she was wrong.

With slow motions, she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around her shivering body, not even realizing how cold she'd been. She methodically wrung the water out of her hair and dried herself off, putting her clean clothes on.

The dirty mirror on the far wall tempted her, she walked towards it slowly, but she wasn't excited to see what she looked like. Her face fell and her mouth turned down into a frown when she saw her lifeless eyes. She turned her head and wiped off the remaining dried blood from her nose that the shower hadn't gotten rid of.

The hole had already healed over as if the piercing hadn't been there in the first place. Her eyes moved over her features and she almost hated that she didn't look worse, like there should be evidence of how hurt she really was.

It wasn't until her gaze drifted to her neck, that her heart jumped and her body went tense. She could see a bruise beginning to form, the ugly green, yellow colour faintly outlining the shape of the Governor's belt that he had tried to choke her with.

She ran her trembling fingers over the sensitive skin and winced as she pressed down lightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a whispered curse. It would only get worse, more noticable, and she wouldn't be able to hide it.

She sniffled and wiped at a few stray tears that fell. She felt like all control had been taken from her, that she just had to lay down and take whatever punches and kicks that were throw at her without questions, without fighting back.

She turned and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was sat on the floor. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she hugged her legs to herself and just sat in silence, stewing in all the bad feelings she worried would never leave.

About an hour had passed and Rhiannon knew it was time to get back to the cell block. She was surprised no one had come looking for her already. They could probably all tell that she needed space.

She noticed Carol and Beth on the perch as soon as she stepped in and even though the last thing she wanted was to engage with other people, she knew she couldn't hide forever and she walked up the steps, plastering on a weak smile when they noticed her.

"Judith loves the toy you got her." Beth told her with a wide smile.

"Judith?"

"Carl named her."

Rhiannon felt her heart swell and this time she didn't have to fake a smile as she looked into the makeshift crib they'd made and saw Judith clutching onto the stuffed pig she'd picked up for her, but hadn't had the chance to give her, thanks to Merle.

She reached down and gently trailed her finger over the sleeping baby's chubby cheek, feeling much lighter than she did before. It was easy to be distracted by all the bad things going on in life when staring at something so beautiful and innocent.

"How are you doing?" Beth asked, looking at her big sister with concern.

Rhiannon's small smile fell and she sighed. "I dunno. Don't really know what I'm supposed to feel right now."

"You know Daryl didn't have a choice. He couldn't abandon his brother." Carol interjected reiterating what she'd told Beth. "I'm mad at him too, but I'm betting this wasn't what he wanted either."

Rhiannon just shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore. She couldn't, it hurt too much. No matter how they tried to spin it or justify it, it didn't make her feel any better.

"Can you help me with something." She said to Carol, abruptly changing the subject.

The older woman nodded and followed Rhiannon to her cell. She grabbed her brush and began to run it through her long, damp tangles. "Can you get the scissors?"

Carol nodded and rummaged through her bag and pulled out the small first aid kit she kept, pulling out the pair of scissors she found. "Just a trim?"

Rhiannon shook her head and gestured under her chin. Carol looked back at her with wide eyes and looked ready to disagree. The timing of her wanting a big change was a bit of a coincidence. She knew how much Daryl loved Rhiannon's long hair, he almost always had his fingers in the strands, like it was a reflex he couldn't control when she was around, something he wasn't even aware of.

Carol found it hilarious watching him blush when he realized the others had seen him playing with his girl's hair.

"This isn't about getting revenge on Daryl." Rhiannon explained, sensing her hesitation. "The Governor… he had this fixation with it." She said quietly, gently running her fingers through her hair, an act that now made images of the deranged man run through her mind and made her feel sick. "Apparently I looked like his dead wife."

Carol paused, her face crumpled in barely contained despair. She turned her head and shared a sad look with Beth who stood in the doorway of the cell, looking horrified, like she wanted to run to Rhiannon, pull her into a hug and never let go.

Without anymore hesitation, Carol stood behind Rhiannon and started to cut off long strands of her hair.

"Did he…?" She trailed off, unable to say the word.

"No." Rhiannon answered tiredly. It wasn't like what he actually did to her was much better.

It didn't take long until the floor was littered with chunks of blonde hair. Rhiannon certainly felt like a weight was lifted, not the one she was hoping for, but this was a start.

"All done." Carol said, smiling at the look of wonder on the young woman's face as she twirled her much shorter hair.

"Haven't had it this short since I was a kid."

"Looks good." Beth told her happily, glad to see her sister smiling, though she still had that haunted look in her eyes. She doubted that would go away anytime soon, not unless Daryl came back.

The light tapping coming up the stairs had them all turning their heads, and Rhiannon was suddenly back on edge as her father came into view.

His eyes widened as he took in her new appearance, before a small smile began to grow. "Well, look at you." He laughed, reveling in the smile he was able to get from her.

Rhiannon looked down bashfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You two mind giving us some time?" He asked, now much more solemn as he looked to Carol and Beth who nodded in understanding, giving a sympathetic look to Rhiannon as they left. They could see the nerves radiating off her and they knew the heavy conversation she was about to have wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Rhiannon's hands tapped nervously against her thigh as her father made his way into her cell and sat down on the bed next to her, letting his crutches down in front of him.

"I can't imagine you're taking this well." He started, looking over at her with soft eyes and the way she immediately tensed up make his heart ache. He hated that since this all started, he had seen his daughter hurting more than he should have.

"Can't change what happened, just gotta get over it I guess." She shrugged with feigned nonchalance.

"You really don't think he's coming back?"

"Why would he? He made his choice."

"Well, I find that hard to believe." Hershel said, shaking his head. "That man may be stubborn, but he loves you. He'll realize soon enough that the difficult decision he had to make may not have been the best, and hopefully everyone will have calmed down by then and we can find a way to live together."

"You really think Glenn and Maggie would be ok living with Merle?" Rhiannon scoffed. "Even _I_ don't think I can swallow my pride and be civil to him, even if he is Daryl's brother."

Hershel swallowed thickly and looked over at her curiously. "What happened in Woodbury?" He couldn't help but notice the gut wrenching fact that Maggie had shown up wearing a shirt that wasn't hers, and while she'd reassured him that _that_ hadn't happened, he couldn't help but wonder if Rhiannon's case was different.

Rhiannon sighed, her eyes closing in exhaustion. She didn't know how many times she'd have to relive and explain what happened, she didn't even want to do it once.

"He didn't really touch me." She mumbled.

"Just pulled your piercing out." Hershel said darkly, his voice laced with anger at the thought of what his daughter went through.

"He tried to choke me." She blurted out, her voice strained, and she refused to look over at him, she didn't want to see the expression on his face.

Hershel's heart skipped and his eyes widened. He turned toward her and his eyes locked onto her neck, the faint bruises that he failed to notice before, were now like a spotlight he couldn't unsee.

His trembling hand reached out and he grasped onto her shoulder, his finger tilting her chin to the side gently to get a better look. A shaking breath left him before his mouth snapped shut, holding in everything he wanted to let out. He wanted to curse the Governor, he wanted to fawn over her like any father would, but he knew all of it would just make her retreat farther away, so he stayed silent.

Rhiannon gathered the courage she had and turned to look her father in the eye and her chest tightened even further when she noticed his eyes glistening.

Hershel's eyes flickered from the bruises that physically hurt to look at, to look into those familiar brown eyes, though it still hurt to see her sad expression. Without another word, he leaned forward and wrapped his eldest daughter in a bone crushing hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

He didn't have any words of comfort, he couldn't imagine anything he said could make her feel better, so a hug would have to do.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut and she suddenly felt like she was a child, being cradled by her father. Getting this kind of comfort after what she'd been through, made her emotions go haywire. The memory of Daryl and how he'd pulled away from her as soon as he caught Merle looking at them made her chest ache. She couldn't hold off any longer and she began to cry.

"I don't know if I can do this without him." She whimpered, burying her face into his shoulder to smother her quiet sobs.

Hershel sighed deeply and held onto her tighter. He wanted to keep a clear head and look at this objectively. He knew Daryl was a good man who wouldn't leave his brother, but while he held his crying, heartbroken daughter, he couldn't help but feel angry at the man.

He knew Daryl would never want to hurt his daughter, but he did, he probably didn't even know how much.

"You can. You're stronger than you think you are." He told her softly, placing a hand on the back of her head and petting her now short hair.

"You're gonna be just fine." He said, truthfully believing that his stubborn and strong willed daughter didn't need a man in her life to make her feel complete, but another part of him knew Daryl wasn't just any man.

He had made his daughter a better person, had pushed her to be more involved with her family and she loved him deeply, more than she had ever loved anyone.

No matter how daunting it was to accept, he knew it was unlikely she'd be just fine without him.

* * *

Daryl stared into the flames of the fire as Merle cooked the squirrels they caught. His mind was a million miles away, well, maybe ten miles away where the prison was.

He'd been going back and forth in his mind since the second he'd turned his back on her, wondering what he was supposed to be doing, worrying that he'd made the worst decision of his life.

Her face flashed through his mind, as a matter of fact, the image of her never left his mind. He felt his heart clench uncomfortably tight and he squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing at his temples.

"Alright, think I've stayed quiet 'bout as long as I can." Merle suddenly spoke up with a wide sarcastic smile on his face. "Who the hell was that pretty blonde with the big tits?"

"Don't talk about her like that." Daryl snapped, keeping his gaze on the fire.

"I hit a nerve, lil' brother?" Merle teased, not understanding just how hurt Daryl was at the moment.

"Just shut up about her!" He yelled back, giving him a stern scowl.

"Stop blubberin'. Ain't no bitch out there that's worth your time."

Daryl grit his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn't crack. His fists clenched tightly and he swore his vision blanketed with red hot rage.

"What? Don't tell me that a pair of tits got you heartbroken like a fuckin' pussy." Merle laughed in amusement at the thought of his brother being whipped by that small woman. "Gotta say man, you're reaching high above your pay grade. Girls like that don't bother with Dixon men. "

"You want me to leave your ass on the side of the road?" Daryl threatened, looking at his brother impatiently.

Merle just scoffed and shook his head, his face scrunched in disgust. "Ain't nobody gonna care about you but me, your blood. Don't waste your fuckin' time."

"She cares about me." Daryl muttered, feeling his chest constrict as he thought back to their time together, all the nights they spent wrapped up in each other, all the times she'd made him laugh, which was a large feat, and all the times he felt so relaxed and content with her, something he'd never really felt his whole life.

Merle was about to laugh at how ridiculous his brother sounded, but he stopped. He remembered the blonde woman crying in that arena and Daryl fighting to get to her, looking just as distraught as she had.

He thought about how he'd left her with the Governor, he was already a little unsettled by it, but knowing that Daryl cared about her made his stomach sink in a strange way it never had before. Not that he'd ever admit it.

He tensed his shoulders and forced the thoughts of the mystery woman from his mind. "Least you finally got your dick wet. Was startin' to wonder if you were one'a those queers."

Daryl breathed heavily, using all of his strength not to lash out at his brother. He stood and slung his bow over his shoulder, keeping his stone cold eyes off Merle as he stomped away.

He didn't go far, just until he couldn't see the light of the fire, and he stopped, almost stumbling in his haste to get away. He put a hand against the nearest tree to steady himself letting his forehead rest on it.

He took in panting breaths, trying to calm his buzzing nerves, feeling his hands shaking slightly from unabashed frustration. Usually when he got like this, he had Rhiannon by his side, whispering words and running her hand through his hair to calm him down. Her absence just sent him further into a tailspin.

 _No one to blame but yourself,_ he reminded himself. The conflict in his mind made him feel dizzy.

He let out a low growl and punched the tree, barely feeling the pain. A loud sigh left him and he moved to sit on the ground, burying his head in his hands.

This kind of helpless, spiralling feeling wasn't new, but it was strange to go through it alone, to know that he only had himself to fix it. It had him panicking and spiralling even further into his anxiety and frustration knowing she wasn't with him.

The image of her in his mind had tears stinging his eyes and he clenched his fists tighter.

The thought of her crying, which was _his_ fault had him wondering if maybe Merle was right. He knew he cared about her more than he'd ever cared about anyone. He knew she cared about him, but Merle had a point and it was something he'd been thinking since the day he met her. Women like her didn't end up with men like him.

He told himself that she could do better, that she deserved better, but a voice in the back of his head, one he had never heard until she came around, told him he was enough, that she loved him for who he was. She was the one to open his eyes to this new found confidence.

But he didn't want to hear that voice, it just made it all the more clear to him that he really had made the biggest mistake of his life.

Daryl looked up at the night sky, looking at the stars and the crescent moon, which reminded him of one of the tattoos she had, and a sad smile graced his lips..

She always loved looking at the starry sky. He winced at the reminder and placed his hand over his heart, hoping that ache would go away soon or else he feared that his longing for her would actually kill him one day.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, seeing her in the darkness. If this was all he could get of her, he would be happy to live in the illusions of his mind for the rest of his days.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even though it's really depressing.**

 **The feedback I got on the last chapter was amazing! I don't know if I should be happy or not that I've made people cry. And there's a few of you a little suspicious of Rick which I find really funny, but don't worry this story won't turn into a love triangle situation. You can all relax**

 **Enjoy! xx**


	46. Chapter 46

_Rhiannon kept her eyes on the closed door, wondering when Daryl was going to be walking through. She looked over at Maggie and Glenn who were cuddled together, both of them fast asleep. She smiled lightly, her longing for Daryl rising at the sight of them._

 _She winced as her sprained ankle throbbed as she rolled onto her back. It had been a pain in the ass dealing with this stupid injury ever since they left the farm._

 _She sighed, worried that she'd be sleeping on floors of random houses for the rest of their days. Their time on the road since they'd lost the farm hadn't been long, but it felt like it had been years, it was draining on all of them._

 _She perked up when the front door opened and she smiled widely as Daryl stepped inside, giving a curt nod to T-Dog who was taking his place on watch. She sat up on her elbows and he looked almost startled when he saw she was awake. He ducked his head and stepped over the sleeping bodies to get to her._

 _He sat himself down next to her, though he made sure to keep a wide space in between them. Being forward in any way with her absolutely terrified him and he was hesitant to make a move even though he knew whatever was going on with them was practically inevitable._

 _Rhiannon looked at him with a furrowed brow. "What are you doing?" She whispered, making him look up at her with wide eyes. "Why are you so far away? Get over here."_

 _Daryl's heart jumped and he sighed, a wave of relief washing over him. He smiled shyly and scooted closer to her, though it still wasn't enough for her._

 _Rhiannon bit back a laugh at how adorable he was and reached out for his hand, pulling him closer to her._

 _She laid down on the blankets she'd set out for them and he followed slowly, still a little on edge with being so close to her, especially with other people around, whether they were conscious or not._

" _Are you ok with this?" She asked quietly, slightly worried that she'd been too forward. That hadn't worked well for her in the past._

" _Yeah, 's long as you are." He mumbled, his gaze not quite meeting hers._

 _She smiled and moved closer to him, slowly winding her arm around him. She could feel him tense as an initial reaction, but he soon breathed deeply and relaxed, realizing there was no reason to feel uncomfortable with her._

" _Of course I'm ok with this. It's what I wanted for awhile."_

 _Daryl's lips quirked up in a small smile and he blushed at her words bashfully. "Me too." He whispered, finally meeting her eyes._

 _Rhiannon smiled and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She made sure to keep the kiss short and sweet, not wanting to push any boundaries while they were surrounded by their sleeping group members. She nuzzled in closer to him and sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to her forehead._

Rhiannon worried her lip with her teeth and breathed deeply, trying to keep her emotions in check as she thought back to the first time she'd slept with him holding her protectively.

It was one of her favourite memories. Even when she was sleeping on the floor of some random house they'd found after being driven out of their last place by a herd, it was the best sleep she'd ever had.

Her mind wouldn't shut up about him and it made it impossible for her to fall asleep. She rolled over onto her side, sighing impatiently as she closed her eyes, trying to force herself to fall asleep, but it was useless.

A few minutes went by, the silence of the prison unsettling her to the point of paranoia. She wasn't used to it being so still and quiet. For the past year, she'd had Daryl by her side, his steady breathing in her ear lulling her into sleep.

But now she had nothing. She didn't have the heavy weight of his arm over her waist making her feel safe, it made her feel so exposed.

She reached out and held the necklace she wore between two fingers, wishing she could go back in time to when he had given it to her and stay there.

She had been in a hell of a lot pain back then, but she at least had him by her side.

A dark figure appeared in the doorway of her cell, making her sit up. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to see through the darkness, and her frown deepened when she saw it was Maggie, looking unsettled.

"You ok?" Rhiannon said quietly, not wanting to disturb the others who were sleeping.

"Can't sleep."

Without another word, Rhiannon moved to the edge of her bunk and pulled the covers back, giving a silent invitation for Maggie who didn't hesitate in stepping forward and crawling in next to her big sister.

She pulled the covers over the both of them and laid on her side, already feeling calmer and more safe with her sister by her side. Her lip began to tremble as Rhiannon hugged her from behind, holding her tightly. She felt like a kid again and she had flashbacks of crawling into her big sister's bed during a thunderstorm.

She wished she could go back to that time. She wished she could be that innocent girl again, free of the horrors she'd witnessed and been put through.

"He doesn't understand." She whispered, her voice strained.

"He will." Rhiannon reassured her. "Just give him some time."

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut, immediately regretting her decision to go to Rhiannon with her relationship problems. No matter how infuriating Glenn was being, at least she still had him around. She couldn't imagine what her sister was going through and she placed her hand over hers.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out almost silently.

"Me too."

The two sisters didn't say anything else and together, they toughed it out through the hard night, just holding each other while their minds raced with the horrors they'd faced in Woodbury, and in Rhiannon's case, thinking of the man who walked away.

It was a difficult night, but at least they had each other.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was a tense affair. Rick's outburst with the new members he'd driven away was still fresh in everyone's minds and no one knew how to talk to their leader who was slowly crumbling from grief.

"He hasn't come back?" Beth asked her father, looking worried as she held Judith protectively.

Hershel shook his head sadly. "Just keeps patrolling the fence."

"I'll talk to him." Rhiannon spoke up, making everyone around her look at her quizzically. "What? We have a thing or two in common." She said bitterly, looking down at her breakfast to avoid looking at all the curious eyes that watched her.

"He'll listen to you." Carl spoke up after a long silence, looking at Rhiannon with hopeful eyes.

The sad expression on his face melted her heart and she sent him a smile so weak, it could barely even be considered a smile. She finished eating quickly and before anyone could try to say anything else to her, she was stepping away from the table and walking out of the prison.

She felt like she could finally breathe as she stepped out into the fresh air, the sun warming her skin. With how peaceful it was outside, she could almost forget all the shit that was happening in her life.

Almost.

She could see Rick's figure up in the guard tower. Even from where she stood, she could see his hunched shoulders and tense demeanor. It wasn't really out of the ordinary considering he'd gone batshit crazy the night before.

She'd never seen him like that before, yelling aggressively and waving his gun around. She could only imagine what was going through his mind. At least with her situation, she knew Daryl was alive, she didn't want to think about what she'd be going through if she'd lost him forever the way he'd lost Lori.

Her chest tightened at the thought. Had she lost Daryl forever? Would he really consider coming back? She didn't even know what she'd do if he came back, could she just forgive him for what he'd done? She didn't know yet, and she didn't know if she'll ever get the chance to find out.

She made her way up to the guard tower, feeling slightly out of place as she opened the hatch and noticed Rick barely acknowledge her presence.

"Hey." She said quietly, moving to sit next to him and she had to hold back a sigh when he didn't even look over at her. "Anything worth seeing out there?"

Rick flinched at her question, as if she was taunting him for the fact that he was seeing his dead wife like an escaped ward patient.

"Rick," She said softly, her hand reached out to be placed on his shoulder, but she quickly retracted when she noticed him shift away from her and look down at his hands in shame. "You know...no one expects you to be holding it together after what happened. If you need to, you can take some time, let someone else take the reins."

The broken leader finally raised his head, his watering eyes meeting hers. She had to hold back a gasp at the sight of him. It looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"I keep…" He paused, his lip trembling as he stared out into the open field below them. "I keep seeing her." He whispered.

Rhiannon didn't know what to say. It wasn't exactly shocking that Lori was the reason for his breakdown, but it was still heartbreaking to know.

"Do you see her now?" She asked slowly, wincing at her words that weren't comforting in the slightest.

"No. I saw her this morning though...and last night."

The shame and slight fear in his voice was something so strange to hear. Rhiannon knew what he was going through was perfectly justified, grief did strange things to a person, but to see _Rick_ going through it was so unsettling. She didn't know how to approach him.

"I used to think I could see my mom after I lost her. At first it was just seeing another mom with her kids at the grocery store and thinking it was her, but one time I was at a dance recital, I was on stage and I could've sworn I saw her in the crowd. I stopped dancing and just froze, embarrassed myself in front of everyone."

"When did it stop?" Rick asked, sounding slightly desperate.

"Pretty soon after it started. I used to think that she stopped wanting to see me because she was disappointed in who I was becoming. I know it sounds stupid, but I was only a kid, I didn't know what else to think."

Rick looked pained at her answer and Rhiannon winced lightly, realizing her own sob story didn't help him at all.

"You're grieving. I think with time you'll be ok, but for now, you just have to let yourself feel hurt."

"Is Carl ok?" He asked suddenly, changing the subject from his own trauma.

"He's fine, just worried about you. I think he loves being Judith's protector though."

That got Rick to crack a smile, though it was weak. He looked over at her and she could tell his mind was running a mile a minute. "You wanna go on a run?"

His request threw her off. She didn't think he was exactly in a state of mind to go out beyond the fences, but she could understand that he needed to keep busy, and a run was the perfect distraction. And Rhiannon couldn't exactly say no to him when he was looking at her like he was. She could tell where Carl learned the puppy dog stare from.

"Sure, where?" She finally answered, hoping she didn't let on to how hesitant she was.

"There's a big mansion a few miles out. Figured there'd be some food or clothes we can take." He sounded unsure of himself and shrugged, looking back down at his hands. "I dunno, it might be worth a shot."

The uncertainty in his voice made her frown. He sounded nothing like the leader he was supposed to be and had been for months.

"Sounds good. I'll get my stuff and we'll head out in a few minutes." She answered brightly, making him perk up slightly, looking at her with a semblance of hope and nodded slowly.

Rhiannon stood from her spot beside him and moved to the door, but stopped before she left, turning back to him slowly.

"Rick, you should talk to Carl before we leave. Just to ease his mind a bit."

Rick sighed and averted is eyes, but nodded in agreement. He tried to ignore the growing guilt that he felt by keeping his son at arms length, but found the courage to stand and follow Rhiannon out of the guard tower and back into the prison.

"We're going out on a run, should only be a couple of hours." Rhiannon told her dad in passing when he looked up at her return.

Hershel was immediately reaching for his crutches and following her into the cellblock. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Why wouldn't it be?" She asked, grabbing her sword from her cell and making her way back down the stairs where her father was waiting for her.

"It's just...after everything's that's happened, I don't think going on a run is a healthy way to deal with your feelings."

Rhiannon fought the urge to roll her eyes looked at her father with growing impatience. "I'm not doing this to pull away from you, I'm doing this because Rick needs a friend."

Hershel sighed and reached out to grab his daughter's hand. "I'm sorry." He breathed out, feeling bad at his automatic assumption that she was reverting to her old ways. "You've grown so much since this all started, but that doesn't mean I won't still worry about you. You've just been through a trauma, I don't want you making any stupid mistakes out there."

Rhiannon let out a shaky breath and pushed through her bubbling emotions.

"I just want things to go back to normal. This is our normal." She noticed he still didn't look convinced and she sighed, squeezing his hand that held hers. "It's just a run. I've done it a thousand times before."

"The Governor might be out there, looking for you." Hershel stressed, the fear in his voice heard clear as day.

The thought had crossed her mind, but it didn't deter her in the slightest. If anything, she hoped he'd come after her. She would love nothing more than a chance to drive her sword through the heart she doubted he had.

"If he does, I won't be caught off guard. Rick and I can handle this."

Her response didn't do much to assure him, but he knew there was little he could do to stop her, one of the things he simultaneously hated and loved about his daughter. He finally nodded and moved to the side, letting her move past him.

Rhiannon smiled sadly and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I'll be safe."

 _That's what you said the last time,_ he wanted to retort, but he held his tongue. He settled for just hugging her back, silently worrying over her.

"Look out for him." He told her, his gaze moving to Rick who was saying goodbye to Carl.

Rhiannon sighed, pulling away from the hug. She looked over at their leader and hoped that she was enough to help him. "I will."

She passed her sisters, the both of them looking at her worriedly, but they understood that she needed to do this. If she stayed at the prison, she'd go crazy thinking about what happened. They knew it was hard for her to be there without Daryl, there were so many reminders of him everywhere she looked, so no matter how much they wanted her close, they knew she had to get out.

Rhiannon sent a warm smile to Carl who looked nervous to see his father in the state he was in. She nudged his chin up with her fingers, making him look up at her with a small smile, and she gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek as a goodbye, a promise to be back.

Rick followed her out to the courtyard, the both of them unusually quiet.

"You wanna drive?" She asked, holding up the keys.

"No, you go ahead." He responded passively, moving to the passenger side. While driving on the open road might have been therapeutic, he didn't want to risk it when he was seeing things. He didn't exactly trust himself behind the wheel at this point.

The two of them were silent as they passed through the gates. The soft sound of music played through her ipod as she drove, and surprisingly she was feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. She hadn't had time to feel like she could just lean back, take a breath, and be calm in what felt like forever.

She was astonished that she could actually feel that way while knowing Daryl was out in the world somewhere, with no idea when, or even if, she'd see him again.

She looked over at Rick briefly, the far away look on his face worrying her.

"You can pick a song if you want." She offered, breaking the silence between them.

Rick nodded and picked up her ipod to look through the songs. She noticed his impassive expression morph into one of despair and his eyes began to water. She wondered what he'd seen to make him lose it.

Suddenly the music changed, and the soft opening chords of 'Here Comes the Sun' started. Rhiannon's eyes softened and she spared another look at Rick who looked like he was deep in thought.

"Lori loved this song. Whenever she was cooking or cleaning, doing anything really, she would be humming this song, like it was always in the back of her mind." He explained, his voice strained.

Rhiannon stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt the song, but she was compelled to when she noticed a few tears running down his cheeks.

"Rick-"

"She died thinkin' I hated her." Her cried, furiously wiping at his cheeks.

Rhiannon didn't have a comeback for that. Lori _did_ think that Rick hated her, she couldn't exactly lie to him, she wasn't someone who was known to sugarcoat things. She slowed the car to a stop and put it in park, turning her body so she was looking at him, giving him her full attention.

"She loved you. Things were rocky in the end, but she never stopped caring. She regretted everything that happened after the farm...and Shane." She swallowed thickly, feeling her stomach turn at the mention of him. It was hard for her to even say the name, but she needed Rick to know.

It certainly shocked him to hear the name of his old friend, especially from the person he'd hurt so fiercely, and he looked over at her with wide eyes. "You two talked about that?"

"A little bit. She realized she was wrong to blame you for what happened. "

Rick sighed, sniffling as he cried softly. All he wanted was more time with her, more time to mend their broken relationship. There was no resolution and there never would be. Having it hang over his head was agonizing, like he could never close the book and never get closure.

Rhiannon grabbed his hands in hers, holding them tightly as she let him cry it out like he so desperately needed to.

"Carl's gonna grow up without a mom. I'm the only one he has, I don't know if I'm enough. I don't know if-"

"Rick stop." Rhiannon interrupted with gentle authority. "Your son loves you and I know this is hard on the both of you and I know it seems impossible now, but you will get through this. And you're not the only one he has. The both of you have me and everyone at the prison. We're family."

Rick let out a shaking breath and wiped the last of his tears. He finally gained the courage to look up and meet her gaze.

"You're a great father and whatever you're going through doesn't change that. We all know it, especially Carl."

That seemed to startle him and he felt his rapid heart rate slowly calming. He squeezed her hand that was still holding his as if it were a lifeline, the only thing keeping him from spiralling out of control.

"Thank you." He whispered, taking in a deep breath. He leaned back in his seat, thankful that he had found his stability.

"You can keep driving now." He reminded her, sounding slightly bashful that she'd witnessed him at his lowest. The whole group did, it made him reluctant to go back, but he didn't exactly have a choice.

Rhiannon smiled lightly at his tone, which was a lot more playful now, and started driving again. The two of them were left in a comfortable silence, something she now cherished after getting used to it so often with Daryl around.

"Do you think the Governor will retaliate?" Rick asked suddenly, immediately dialing the tension back up.

"I would count on it. He doesn't seem like the type to just let things slide. We killed a lot of their people that night." She responded with an edge to her voice that Rick couldn't recall ever hearing from her.

Rick nodded thoughtfully, silently agreeing with her. He looked over at her, trying to be discreet as he studied her, looking for any evidence of what the Governor had done to her. The missing piercing was obvious enough and his fists clenched in his lap.

His eyes trailed down, then quickly snapped back up. He'd almost missed the purpling bruise that stretched across her neck. He suddenly averted his eyes, he felt like he was intruding on something personal just by looking at them.

He had questions on the tip of his tongue but he was hesitant to find his voice and ask her. He shifted in his seat, the unanswered questions making his mind jump to conclusions that made him boil with rage.

"Back in Woodbury, why were you kept separate from Maggie and Glenn?" He spoke up, his curiosity outweighing whatever reservations he had.

Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise at his bluntness, but she quickly steeled her expression. "Guess you'll have to ask the Governor." She said flippantly, breezing past the lie that slipped out easily.

"And the hair?"

Rhiannon looked over at him, raising a brow in question.

"Not that- it looks great- I mean, the timing's just a little….coincidental." He stammered, trying hard to get the sentence out without sounding insensitive.

She rolled her eyes at how careful he was obviously trying to be and sighed in annoyance at what he was insinuating. Did everyone know about Daryl's obsession with her hair? She was almost glad he wasn't here to see it, he would die of embarrassment.

"Is this your not-so-subtle way of asking about Daryl?"

Rick's eyes widened and he floundered for an answer. She was right, but it sounded bad and he didn't exactly want to admit to it.

"I got my heart broken by a man who promised to never leave my side. I don't know where go from here, I don't know how I'm supposed to move on, but I don't exactly have a choice, so it's better if I keep my head down and just get over it."

He looked at her in surprise before narrowing his eyes at her, seeing right through her words. "You really wanna just forget him and move on?"

"No. But he kinda made that choice for me."

"He won't last out there without you." He said, the certainty in his voice making something swell inside her. "He'll be back."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I'd do anything, give up anything, just to get a few more minutes with Lori." He swallowed thickly, saying her name was even hard and Rhiannon's face softened at the mention of her. "He's not stupid."

"That's debatable." She muttered, causing Rick to let out a breathy laugh. The dry sense of humor she had made Rick feel better, like things were getting back to normal.

He missed the funny and sarcastic woman she'd been before. He felt like he hadn't seen her as she was since they found the prison.

She sighed loudly, leaning her elbow on the window sill and placing her hand on her forehead. "Fuck, I'm so tired of feeling depressed all the time. I feel like I'm back in highschool."

"What the hell kind of highschool did you go to?" He asked with a smirk. He didn't think he'd ever felt like this before.

Rhiannon just sent him a playful glare that broke when she smiled. The act almost felt foreign, she felt like she hadn't smiled in a long time. When she looked over at Rick she was delighted when she noticed the small smile beginning to form on his usually frowning face.

The two of them were back to the comfortable silence that felt so much lighter than before.

As the song changed, Rhiannon turned up the volume, feeling happiness swell inside her. Rick looked over at her in amusement as she tapped her fingers against the wheel in rhythm with the music.

"What? You've never heard this song?"

He shook his head, but he had to admit, it was catchy.

"It's the happiest song in the world." She smiled widely and turned the volume up even more before belting out along with the band, making Rick let out a genuine laugh for the first time in a long time.

 _I really wanna go out_

 _I really wanna go outside and stop to see your day_

 _You really want to hole up_

 _You really want to stay inside and sleep the light away_

The tune was easy to catch onto and Rick started humming along as she sang, his fingers tapping against his thigh. Even with everything that was happening, even though he felt like his world was crumbling around him just that morning, Rhiannon made him forget it all.

She had a knack for that. He remembered their time on the road, during a long and hard winter, and he was sure it would've been practically impossible to deal with if she wasn't there. She was like the group mascot, keeping morale up and always making people smile.

This was the Rhiannon he knew, the goofy, always smiling woman that made everything seem better. He hadn't seen her like this in a long time, and he had worried he wouldn't see it again anytime soon, if ever, considering Daryl had just left.

He briefly wondered if she was just putting on a front to get everyone off her back, but he studied her carefully and the relieved smile he saw on her face made it seem like even she was surprised she was able to smile so soon after the trauma she'd been through, and he knew it was genuine.

"You think you're gonna be ok?" He yelled over the loud music.

Rhiannon's smile faltered, but didn't disappear. The weight she felt on her shoulders was back as the Governor's face flashed through her mind, and the memory of the sound of Daryl's laugh and the way his touch on her skin felt made her chest tighten painfully.

She shrugged and looked to Rick with a hopeless expression on her face. "We'll see." She said back, turning down the music slightly before it could burst their eardrums. "Are you?" She asked him, sparing a quick glance, only to see him lower his gaze to his hands in his lap.

"I hope so." Was all he said, and with that they were left with only the music for the rest of the drive.

* * *

Daryl's stomach growled, startling him out of his daydream. He blinked blearily, trying to push past his exhaustion and focus on the hunt he was trying to do unsuccessfully.

Had hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, both from his mind running a mile a minute and with the threat of being out in the open again.

"The hell you been doin'?" Merle sounded behind him, making him tense and turn on his heel to face his brother. "You some kinda Forrest Gump type now, droolin' like an idiot? The fuck you think standin' 'round's gonna do?"

"I gotta do all the work now?" Daryl snapped back angrily. His lack of patience was nothing new when dealing with Merle, but now it was non-existent.

"You want me to set up the snares?" Merle replied, holding up his hand and stump, giving Daryl a bitch look that rivalled the one Rhiannon gave him whenever they bickered.

Daryl didn't say anything. His mind, of course, found a way to revert back to her and it left him without any care of fighting back on Merle's attitude.

"What, nothin' to say?" Merle chided him, stirring the pot like he loved to do.

Daryl shook his head and started to walk away, now engrossed in the forest that surrounded him. He just wanted to hunt and eat something to get Merle off his back.

"Man, this is fuckin' pathetic."

Daryl grit his teeth and his feet stopped in their place. He turned slowly and immediately wished he hadn't when he saw the anger on Merle's face. He knew this wouldn't end well.

"You're on your own for a year and you become this weepin', whipped, shell of a man. The hell did that bitch do to you, lil' brother? Was she really that good in the sack to get you off your rocker?"

"Merle, I swear to god, you say one more thing 'bout her and I-"

"You'll what?" Merle yelled, puffing his chest out and getting in Daryl's face threateningly. "You left her cryin' on the side'a the road, you really gonna tell me you care about her after that? Think I can say whatever the fuck I want after you did that."

Daryl's face fell and Merle was shocked by the sudden show of emotion from his brother, something Daryl definitely wasn't known for. Merle quickly brushed away the brief concern he felt and hardened his scowl.

Merle's words hit him hard and he looked down at his boots to hide what his face gave away - the fact that he was so hurt and broken and that it was _him_ who had done it to the both of them. The memory of her crying and pushing him away as he tried to hug her one last time made his fists clench and his eyes burn.

"Dixon's don't cry about whores that open their legs for us. Get over it."

Before Merle could even blink, Daryl had sprung forward, pushing him against the nearest tree, with his arm painfully against his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at the dark expression on his little brother's face.

He'd never seen him so worked up before. Daryl was usually so apathetic about everything, always brushing people off and never bothering getting close to anyone.

But the wild look in Daryl's eyes and the way he was almost vibrating in anger was enough for Merle to realize that this wasn't a joke, this was serious, Daryl really was hung up on some random girl. It was something Merle never imagined happening.

"I told you, don't talk shit about her." Daryl growled darkly, pressing harder against Merle's throat.

Merle stared back at him with morbid curiosity, like he was looking at a stranger rather than his own brother, but he was smart enough to keep quiet.

Daryl finally stepped away, his chest heaving. Merle cleared his throat as discreetly as possible, trying to downplay just how much he'd been roughed up. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Jesus, lil' brother." He muttered, looking over at him with furrowed brows. "You really give a shit about that girl?"

Daryl just ducked his head, the look of longing on his face enough of an answer for Merle.

"You never gave a shit 'bout anyone. What the fuck happened?"

Daryl sighed, but he wasn't about to flip out again. Surprisingly, there was no malice of teasing in Merle's voice, just genuine curiosity.

"Dunno, just happened." He shrugged, refusing to meet his brother's gaze. "Don't wanna talk 'bout it."

Merle stared at his brother with raised brows. He never thought he'd see Daryl like this. He didn't know if he could handle him moping around all the time, it was getting on his nerves.

"Well you left her, so you best get over it. Don't want you cryin' all the damn time."

It seemed their heart to heart was over as quick as it had begun. Daryl sneered and rolled his eyes at how blatantly rude Merle was to disregard his clearly fragile state. He didn't know why he was surprised.

He squared his shoulders and looked at Merle with a steely glare, getting ready to use the ammunition he'd been holding onto for the past couple of days.

"Surprised you didn't recognize her." He mumbled, making Merle look at him questioningly, his brows furrowing at the amusement he saw on his face, which was a harsh turn from how solemn he'd been just seconds before.

"Thought you'd remember the girl that beat your ass and broke your nose."

Merle stared back at his brother in a shocked silence, and Daryl could tell he was thinking hard. Suddenly his face went slack and his eyes turned thunderous and went wide in disbelief.

"You're tellin' me you've been shackin' up with that bitch from Macon?" He yelled and Daryl could only smirk at his anger that was immensely satisfying to him, though he did bristle at what he'd called her.

"Heard the story. You had it comin'."

Merle didn't know if that made him hate her or if he was actually impressed by her. He brushed off the thought quickly and settled for being angry, he knew how to do that.

"Don't have to look so fuckin' pleased." Merle barked at him, getting irritated by the smile on Daryl's face that came from his misfortune.

Daryl's smile suddenly smoothed out and he looked to be deep in thought. He looked up at Merle, the intensity in his gaze throwing him off.

"Her name's Rhiannon."

Merle's face changed in a split second to an expression Daryl had never seen before. Like Daryl, his older brother had the same childhood memory of their mother singing that song and dancing around the kitchen. It was the only time they saw her smile.

The emotion that hit him was foreign to Merle, the warmth that immediately spread through him had shaken him to his core. He couldn't remember the last time he thought of his mother and he was taken aback by the onslaught of memories that hit him suddenly just at the name of that damn song.

Daryl noted Merle's silence and he could tell from the look on his face exactly what was going through his mind. The softness in his brother's eyes was unusual to see, but it gave Daryl hope that his brother wasn't all bad, that he still had a redeemable quality within him somewhere.

"Let's keep moving." Merle mumbled and quickly stomped off.

Daryl sighed and followed slowly, watching his brother walk away with curious eyes. The song rang through his head and he cursed softly under his breath for bringing it up. He placed his hand over his rapidly beating heart, clutching at the fabric of his shirt.

He wasn't used to this kind of longing and hurt. He ached to be with her, to see her smiling face and touch her soft skin.

 _Miss you so fuckin' much already, darlin'._

* * *

 **I really had no idea what to do with this chapter. I know it's hard with them apart, but it must happen, so I took the chance to dive into her friendship with Rick a little more.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **And shoutout to anyone that knows the song Rhiannon and Rick were singing xx**


	47. Chapter 47

It had been a few days since Daryl had left, but it felt like weeks. Time seemed to go by slower without him and Rhiannon was beginning to wonder if the world had some sort of vendetta against her.

She fiddled with her necklace and contemplated, for what was probably the thousandth time, whether or not she should take it off. It was a constant reminder of him and how much he'd cared about her.

She didn't know if she wanted to remember, it just made her heart ache in a way she never knew it could.

She shook the thoughts from her head, she didn't want to keep thinking about it.

The rifle that hung over her shoulder bumped against her thigh with each determined step she took. The sun was barely beginning to rise and it wasn't normally like her to be willing to take watch so early, but trying to get sleep was useless.

She knew her family would be worried when they eventually woke and found that she wasn't in her cell, but she honestly couldn't be bothered to do the right thing and stick around.

She could feel herself closing up and pushing them away, but was powerless to stop it.

Her stride faltered and she stopped in place before she could make it to the guard tower. She could see Rick from where she stood, his tense figure standing outside the safety of the fences. He wasn't doing anything that looked suspicious, but that was what was troubling, he wasn't doing anything at all.

Rhiannon felt for him, having an idea of what he was going through and what his mind was torturing him with after he'd revealed to her that he was seeing his dead wife.

Their time together the other day had helped for a time, but there was only so much her comforting words could do. His mind was still very much in ruins and there wasn't a lot she could do to help him.

"Is he alright?"

Rhiannon tensed and turned her head abruptly, relaxing only slightly when she saw Michonne with a look of apprehension on her face as she watched Rick from afar.

"He's…" She trailed off, unable to come up with a good enough answer. She couldn't just say he was fine and brush her off, Michonne was too smart for that and it was fairly obvious to anyone that Rick _wasn't_ fine.

Rhiannon sighed and turned fully to face the other woman. "He just lost his wife. I swear, he's not usually this cold, it's just been pretty rough for us lately."

Michonne's furrowed brow smoothed out and she nodded in understanding, now looking sympathetic rather than untrusting of the people who had brought her in.

"So you were with Andrea all winter?" Rhiannon asked, changing the subject to something a little less heavy hearted.

"Yeah." Michonne replied, her tone letting Rhiannon know she wasn't interested in elaborating about their friendship or their time together, which she respected.

"And she stayed with the Governor." She said as a statement rather than a question, her voice filled with disdain and disbelief.

"She didn't see what I saw." Michonne sneered.

"But she saw what happened. You know her better than I do, we never really got close, but why wouldn't she go with us?"

Michonne looked over at Rhiannon and the hurt she saw in the woman's eyes made her realize that Michonne was just as confused and angry as she was about Andrea's relationship with the Governor. Even if Andrea wasn't physically gone, Michonne had still lost her friend.

Michonne's eyes drifted down and landed on the faint purple bruises on the woman's neck. She swallowed thickly and averted her gaze before Rhiannon could realize what had caught her attention. It made her feel sick to her stomach thinking about what could've happened to these people if she hadn't stuck her neck out to help them.

"Aren't you gonna go talk to him?" Michonne asked, turning back to look at Rick who was wandering aimlessly.

Rhiannon shook her head and looked down at her feet. "Nothing I say will make it better. He can handle himself out there, just let him grieve."

"And what if the Governor comes, will he be able to fight?"

Rhiannon paused, her face turning down into a frown as she realized just how deep into this shit they were. "I hope so." She mumbled.

Michonne nodded and watched as the woman made a hasty exit and went into the guard tower. She didn't know what she had gotten herself into. Most of the people seemed like genuinely nice people, but it was as though tragedy followed them wherever they went. She didn't know if it was worth it to stay with them, she just didn't know them well enough to feel comfortable with them.

* * *

Daryl was at a literal crossroads. He looked at the four way intersection with barely contained restraint. He knew taking the west facing road would lead him straight to the prison. He could make it there in less than an hour, depending on whether or not he'd run into walkers on the way.

Just an hour and he could see her again.

"Made up your mind yet?" Merle called out to him, snapping him out of his daze. He turned and gave his brother a questioning look. "Look like you're 'bout to bolt and leave me in the dust."

"Would goin' there really be that bad?" Daryl asked, his voice not sounding as confident as he would've liked.

Merle snorted in amusement at the prospect of going to the prison and begging forgiveness from people that didn't matter to him. "The fuck you thinkin', boy? Those people don't want me anywhere near them. Won't be layin' out the damn red carpet for me. Might not be so happy to see you either."

Daryl winced at his brother's words. It was what he feared, having the others at the prison look at him with betrayal if ever were to make his way back - which was something he contemplated practically every second of the day.

"Don't matter anyway, they're all dead."

Daryl's heart dropped to his stomach and he clenched his fists tightly, trying hard not to lash out at his brother, an instinct that had become quite common in the past few days. The thought of the people he'd grown to see as family getting hurt made him feel sick. The thought of _her_ in danger left him breathless with rage and panic.

"How can you be so sure?" He finally choked out, hoping his voice didn't betray how on edge he was just at the prospect of Rhiannon in danger.

Merle snorted again and looked at Daryl lamely. "You think the Governor's gonna wave the white flag? He's probably on his way to the prison right now, where's he's gonna bury what's left of your pals."

Daryl glared at his brother and grit his teeth as his grip on his bow tightened.

"Don't gotta worry, lil' brother, he won't kill your girl."

Daryl's head snapped up and he looked at Merle with a startled expression. "The hell does that mean?" He demanded gruffly, taking a threatening step towards him.

"He had a huge hard on for her. Apparently he's got a thing for blondes."

Daryl's lips parted but there were no words he could speak. His heart stutterd and his body went tense in fear. It was bad enough that she was even on the Governor's radar, but it was exponentially worse if he had some twisted interest in her.

Merle rolled his eyes at the way his little brother looked shaken by the news. "Why do you think she wasn't kept with the chinaman and his girl?"

Daryl's expression darkened dangerously and he stomped towards Merle, making him take a few steps back to avoid the classic Dixon temper getting in his face.

"You knew? You just let that psycho take her?" He yelled, pushing at Merle's chest roughly.

"I didn't know who the hell she was!" Merle defended himself, though it wasn't much of a defense, it still made him sound like an asshole.

"Jesus christ, Merle." Daryl muttered disappointedly, rubbing a hand over his forehead. It was slightly disturbing hearing about Merle's time in Woodbury and what he had done, or more what he _hadn't_ done.

He felt like he didn't know his brother anymore. He knew Merle was an asshole and a mean son of a bitch, there was no doubt about that, but it was unsettling to see him be so villainous.

"C'mon, let's hunt." Merle spoke up, desperate to change the subject.

The odd feeling of guilt lingered within him and it made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. He didn't want to feel like that, he wished he could just move on from what he'd done and avoid the repercussions, but by the way Daryl looked at him with that look of hurt that was becoming all too familiar, made him doubtful it would be easy to move past what he'd done.

Daryl sighed deeply, his gaze turning back to the road that would lead him to her. He felt a pull in his chest, like there was a tether connecting the two of them, one he'd been actively trying to ignore for the past few days.

He didn't know how much longer he could go on pretending this was working, that he'd made the right choice. He was living in denial and he couldn't keep up the facade that he wasn't totally depressed.

"You comin' or what?" Merle yelled, finally noticing his brother wasn't following him.

"Yeah." Daryl answered after a long pause. He kept his head down, not sparing another glance at the road that literally led to his heart and soul, and caught up to Merle.

* * *

Carol made her way up the guard tower tentatively. There was a part of herself that scolded her, telling her not to get involved and just let Rhiannon be alone, which was what she clearly wanted.

But when she woke and saw Rhiannon's family looking dejected and worried by her absence, even if she was just outside, it spurred her into action.

She smiled as brightly as she could without it looking fake as she approached the young woman who had her legs hanging off the edge of the tower, her elbows resting on the railing.

"Brought you some food."

Rhiannon barely looked over at Carol and made no move to take the bowl she was holding out for her. She heard her sigh and she moved to sit next to her.

"Take it, please. You barely ate anything yesterday." She pressed gently.

The tone of her voice made something inside Rhiannon stir. She sounded like a mother, so caring but authoritative. It made her chest tighten. She bit her bottom lip and turned to face Carol, silently taking the food from her.

Each small spoonful she took made her feel nauseous and she pushed the bowl away after only a few bites.

The older woman watched her with soft eyes and sighed deeply. Their group was crumbling and she didn't know what to do about it.

"You're slipping." Carol said suddenly, making Rhiannon avert her eyes in shame.

"I really don't think I should be the priority right now. We have bigger things to worry about."

Carol rolled her eyes. "I don't care about the Governor, I care about you."

"You should care about him. You know what he did."

"That doesn't matter right now!" Carol yelled, unable to contain her frustration for much longer. "You're not acting like yourself, we can all see it. You said you wouldn't slip away. I know you're hurt but you can keep doing this shit."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked at Carol in shock. She'd never heard her speak like that before. The ferocity in the woman's gaze made her go rigid and she looked down at her hands, her vision blurring with tears.

"I didn't mean to-. I don't-" She trailed off weakly. The hold she had on her emotions was slipping away as she began to cry softly. "I hate the way they look at me." She whispered with a strained voice.

Carol's gaze softened and she suddenly felt very regretful for raising her voice. She hesitantly reached out and grabbed Rhiannon's hand in hers, holding it comfortingly.

"They make me feel like a child. I can handle this, I've had my heart broken before."

"But not like this." Carol said quietly. "You've said it yourself, the way you love Daryl was different, better than the way you loved anyone else."

Rhiannon didn't have a comeback for that. It was true, Daryl was a thousand tiers above anyone else she'd been with and she felt out of her element trying to deal with the remnants of their relationship.

Alex had destroyed her emotionally, but it was easy to get over him when she wanted nothing to do with him. This kind of hurt where you still love the person deeply was so foreign to her.

"I still can't believe he left." She whispered solemnly. "I keep trying to remind myself that he did the right thing. I know he couldn't leave his brother, but it doesn't help...at all. If anything, I just get angrier thinking about how much of an asshole Merle is and how it was still the better choice for him."

"It wasn't the better choice, it was the easier choice. Merle wouldn't have taken to getting left behind again lightly. Daryl had to make a split decision and you know more than any of us that he doesn't deal with pressure very well."

"I know, it still hurts though." Rhiannon mumbled, Carol's words registering with her deeply.

Carol frowned and moved closer to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and pulling her in for a tight hug. It was the moment the older woman placed a kiss to the crown of her head that Rhiannon lost all semblance of restraint and she began to cry openly.

* * *

Her face was puffy and her eyes were sore. She thought she'd feel better after the well needed crying fit, but it had just made her ache for Daryl, to have his hand in hers, his fingers running through her hair comfortingly.

Her spur of emotions only made her realize how much it hurt to not have him with her.

Carol had left not long ago, giving her the time alone she knew she wanted. Rhiannon had only managed to get about ten minutes of silence when the door to the guard tower was opened once again, making her sigh in annoyance.

She raised a brow as Glenn came into view, his expression slightly bewildered but determined.

"What's going on?"

"We're ending this, now."

"Just you?" She asked him incredulously.

"Michonne said she's in if you're in."

Rhiannon just shook her head and turned her gaze back out into the field, which only seemed to anger Glenn, whose temper was already on the verge of cracking.

"Are you kidding me?" He almost yelled, angered by her blaze attitude. "A psychopath knows where we live, he could be coming to ambush us any minute, why the hell wouldn't you wanna end this."

"Because it's suicide." Rhiannon stated simply, not letting Glenn's temper get to her. She had dealt with the Dixon temper for almost a year, Glenn's was nothing compared to his.

Glenn looked at her like he didn't even know her, his eyes were studying her curiously. "After what that man did you, to Maggie, how can you not be looking for revenge?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and she turned to Glenn with a knowing look. "So that's what this is about. You need to prove something to Maggie."

"That asshole tormented her!"

"I know, he did the same to me!" Rhiannon yelled back at him, her patience beginning to dissipate. "Do you really think this is gonna help? Killing the Governor isn't gonna change what he did, it's not gonna make the memories any better."

She sighed, her face falling as Glenn's twisted in frustration and despair. She reached out and placed her hand over his clenched fist. "I know you just wanna help, but this isn't the way. She needs you and you storming into danger isn't gonna make her feel any safer."

Glenn stayed silent, slowly processing her words. His body was tense and he moved back from Rhiannon, making his way to the door without another look back at her.

"Guess I'm doing it myself." He mumbled, slamming the door behind him and ignoring her calling out to him.

Rhiannon sighed in frustration and ran her hands through her short hair. A shaking breath left her lips as she leaned against the railing, resting her head against the cool metal. She wanted this day to be over. Or better, she wished the past week of her life had never happened.

 _Why did he have to leave,_ she thought to herself in anguish. If Daryl were here she doubted things would be spiralling the way they were.

She hated the wave of anger that flowed through her at the thought of him. She didn't want to be angry but she couldn't help it. He had promised her time and time again that he would never leave her side, and it took him less than a day with Merle to make him walk back on his words.

She almost wished that they'd had a huge fight and that's what made him leave. It just didn't make sense to her that he could walk away when things were so _good_ between them.

It worried her that he could just leave without a reason or a thought to what they were and how important they were to each other. It made her analyze every second they'd spent together, wondering if she'd done something wrong to make his decision so easy.

 _Fuck you, Daryl Dixon._

She breathed in deeply, forcing him from her mind. It was easy to be angry, it made the fact that he might not be coming back more bearable.

Her hand reached up and she twirled the lightning bolt pendant he'd given her and she felt all anger leave her body in a second. Sadness took its place and she buried her head in her hands, wondering if she'd ever feel normal again.

* * *

"What the shit you doin' pointin' that thing at me?" Merle yelled at him, his feet moving quick to catch up to his little brother.

"They were scared." Daryl said back, keeping his eyes forward. As soon as he saw that family in danger, there was a voice in the back of his mind telling him to go help them. He wanted to ignore the fact that it sounded very much like _her_ voice, but it was almost impossible.

"They were rude is what they were. Owed us a token of gratitude for saving their asses."

Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother and refused to look back at him as they walked until a tug on his shoulder stopped him and made him finally turn around to face him.

"You helpin' people out of the goodness of your own heart, now? Your girl ain't here, ain't gotta impress no one."

"There was a baby!" Daryl argued, his temper reaching a peak as he brought Rhiannon up for what felt like the thousandth time. He got the feeling Merle kept bringing her up just to keep him in his rut.

Merle scoffed at him, shaking his head in disbelief. "You seen my baby brother 'round, cause I sure as shit haven't. I'm left with this whining, sniffling, pussy that's part of some other family I don't know about." He joked, though Daryl could sense the underlying hurt in his tone, something he couldn't remember ever hearing from Merle.

He could tell what Merle was still hung up on.

"I went back for you. You weren't there." Daryl said, trying to reason with him, but the eyeroll he got in response made it clear it wouldn't work. "I didn't cut off your hand neither. You did that. Way before they locked you on that roof. You asked for it."

"You know what I don't get? The brother I knew would call all those assholes sheep, you used to roll your eyes at people like that, never would've given 'em the time of day if they didn't rely on you 'n that bow of yours."

"It ain't like that." Daryl said darkly, a warning edge to his voice that failed to deter Merle from his verbal crusade.

"That bitch's got you all messed up. Think she'd wanna be with you if she knew we were plannin' on robbin' that camp blind?"

Daryl looked down in shame, his jaw clenching tightly. "Didn't happen."

"Yeah, cause I wasn't there to help you. How would your little blondie feel knowin' what a piece of shit you really are?" He taunted, getting a kick out of the way Daryl's expression turned murderous.

"You know what I think?" Daryl spat back, finally feeling like for once in his life, he had the courage to stand up to Merle. "I think you can't stand the fact that I finally got somethin' good in my life. You can't stand that I don't need to follow you 'round anymore. All you got's me and you hate that I don't need you bossin' me 'round."

Merle was stunned to silence and he stared at his brother, the rage in his expression speaking volumes. It wasn't until Daryl began to walk away that Merle snapped out of his shock, pulling at the back of his shirt to stop him.

"You think they're gonna welcome you back with open arms after what you did? You think they give a shit?" He yelled, pulling at his shirt roughly.

The rage that surrounded the brothers suddenly dissipated in a second as Daryl's shirt ripped, exposing his back and the secret that came with it.

That strange sinking feeling was back as Merle stared at the scars on his little brother's back. It was like looking into a mirror.

"I-I didn't know he was-"

"Yeah, he did." Daryl mumbled, still kneeling on the ground, frozen in shock.

Merle swallowed thickly and he couldn't ignore the one question that was rattling in his head. Though he was almost certain he already knew the answer. "Does she know?"

Daryl stood and grit his teeth, keeping his back turned as he straightened out his shirt. "Yeah, she knows." He said plainly and started walking away.

"Where you goin'?" Merle called out, his voice strangely strained.

"Back where I belong. Should never have left her."

"I can't go with you." He called out and Daryl paused, looking back at his brother, his face twisted as he heard the regret in his voice. "I tried to kill that black bitch. Took your girl. Damn near killed the Chinese kid."

"He's Korean."

With that, Daryl kept walking. He made sure not to address what he'd said about taking Rhiannon. He was pissed at his brother, wanted to put a bolt through him for it and he knew going back with him would mean a lot of groveling, but he found that he didn't care.

He'd made the decision and he found it was the wrong one. When faced with it again, he knew what he would do and he would be damned if he would leave her again. He didn't think he could survive any more time apart, it was physically killing him to be away from her.

He heard Merle's footsteps behind him, trailing back a few feet, and he sighed deeply, his hands clenching into fists.

He was deeply shaken that the truth had finally come out, Merle had seen his scars. He imagined this moment differently, the hopeful part of him wished it could have been a moment of brotherly love, but the more rational part of him knew it was more likely for it to be during a fight.

He remembered what Rhiannon had told him about those scars. She said that it didn't change anything, that he was still the same person she loved no matter what was on his back.

The thought of her made him walk faster. He was desperate to get back to her. He only hoped she could forgive him.

* * *

Rhiannon was pacing back and forth in the tower. She couldn't take her mind off what Glenn said. Was it cowardly that she didn't want to face the Governor again, or was she just numb to all feeling, which was perfectly plausible, she'd been wondering about it since Daryl left.

She had watched Glenn drive out of the gates not too long ago and she couldn't stop worrying about him. She knew he wasn't stupid enough to go to Woodbury alone and she hoped he was just going for a drive to let off some steam, but the thought didn't stop her from worrying.

With a whispered curse, she began to make her way down the tower. When she stepped into the courtyard, she smiled sheepishly as Beth immediately approached her, relief evident on her face.

"Hey." Beth smiled, feeling quite awkward trying to engage her sister when it was clear making small talk was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah, we're all fine."

"And Glenn?"

"Daddy said he's not going after the Governor, I think he just needed some space." Beth assured her. Rhiannon nodded silently, her eyes avoiding Beth's that watched her intently. "You didn't want to go with him?" She asked quietly.

"What?"

"Glenn, you didn't want to leave with him?" She clarified and Rhiannon's stomach sank.

"No, I'm not leaving." Rhiannon told her. She sighed when Beth just nodded, not looking very convinced. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, given my history, but I'm not gonna do anything stupid. I just don't wanna take this out on you, it wouldn't be fair."

"You don't have to hide from us to protect our feelings. We know this is hard for you."

Rhiannon resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Beth's words. She knew they knew how hard this was for her, their looks of pity were pretty obvious.

"Beth, I didn-"

Her words were cut off at the crack of a gunshot. She turned on her heel, her arm reaching out to push Beth behind her as her wide eyes looked around frantically.

Her lips parted with a silent gasp when she saw Carol take refuge behind Axel's lifeless body as more shots rang out. Rhiannon acted quickly, grabbing Beth and pulling her with her as they ran to the other side of the guard tower, out of sight of the gunman on the other side of the prison.

"Oh my god, oh my god." Beth muttered under her breath as she began to feel on the verge of a panic attack.

Rhiannon squeezed her hand in response, pulling her in closer. "Just stay behind me."

She pulled the rifle from over her shoulder and aimed at the man in the opposite guard tower. Before she could start shooting, gunfire from the front of the prison startled her and made her cower for cover to avoid getting hit.

She looked up with a frantic expression and the noise around her quietened as she noticed the figure outside their gates.

Even from how far away she was, she could make out the Governor and she could've sworn she could see a smile on his face.

Her heart stuttered and her body froze when his head turned in her direction and it was as if he was staring right at her, even from across the field. She knew it was unlikely he could make her out from so far away, but it shook her deeply that he was even looking in her direction.

The Governor showing up to their gates was inevitable, she knew it would happen sooner rather than later, but she was still shocked by the ambush. She knew she should've stayed in the guard tower, she probably would've seen them before they killed Axel.

"Carol, go!" Maggie's voice yelled, snapping Rhiannon out of her daze.

"Maggie, get down!" She screamed in fear, providing cover fire so she could find a place to shield herself.

The gunfire seemed endless and she winced at every loud crack, her gaze moving out the gates to the walkers that emerged from the woods closer to their fences.

It suddenly went silent and Beth looked to her fearfully. "Are they leaving?"

"No." She responded instantly. She knew the Governor wouldn't just give up, he didn't seem like the type to half ass an ambush, he wanted to scare them and make a point of dominance.

She was about to start firing again, when the sound of a distant engine got louder, getting closer. She bristled and shared a worried look with Beth who shuffled closer to her. Her eyes searched the field, looking for her father where she'd last seen him talking to Rick.

A part of her was glad when she didn't see him. She knew he was hiding.

She, along with Maggie and Carl, began to fire at the car that crashed through the gate and stopped in the middle of the field. Within seconds, the hatch at the back was released, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her lips parted with a gasp as walkers poured into the field.

"Daddy!" Beth yelled, her fingers gripping onto the fence.

Rhiannon started shooting at the walkers closest to her father as he scrambled to grab his crutches and hoist himself up and away from the monsters that got closer to him.

Her attention was focused solely on her father, she forgot about the man in the guard tower. She was shooting every walker she saw until a burning pain in her side made her cry out and crumple to the ground.

She heard Beth scream her name and pull her back against the wall of the tower, out of sight from the man that had shot her.

"Oh god, oh god. What do I do?" Beth cried, her shaking hands hovering over the blood stain on Rhiannon's shirt that was slowly growing.

Rhiannon lifted up her shirt and her head fell back to the ground with a loud groan of pain. It was only a graze, it wasn't fatal. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Just one millimeter to the right and it would be a full blown, through and through, bullet wound.

"Are you ok?" Beth asked, tears streaming down her face. Rhiannon just nodded, she didn't think she could speak in that moment. She was in shock, she'd never been shot before, she didn't think she could even process what had happened and just how close she had come to actually being gravely hurt.

She pulled her shirt down and let out a whimper as the fabric of her shirt rubbed against her wound.

"Take this." She wheezed out, pulling the strap of the rifle off her shoulder with a wince.

"No, Rhiannon, I can't." Beth rambled frantically.

"Beth, you can do this. You have to help Dad. We've practiced, just focus." Rhiannon said with a strained voice, pushing the vicious weapon into her sister's shaking hands.

As Beth concentrated on shooting the walkers that were getting closer to their dad, and making sure she didn't hurt Michonne or Glenn that were in the field helping, Rhiannon forced herself to sit up and lean against the tower.

A cry of pain that she tried to stifle left her mouth and she pressed her hands against her wound to keep pressure on the steady flow of blood, her body jerking in response. She cursed under her breath, closing her eyes tightly.

Beth was suddenly in front of her, shaking her shoulders gently to make her open her eyes. "They're leaving." She told her, her hands gripping onto her tightly, giving away just how terrified she was.

Rhiannon didn't feel as relieved as she hoped at the news. The pain in her side was the only thing on her mind. Beth called out for Maggie who was already running towards them, her face shrouded in concern and her eyes watering when she saw the blood stain on her sister's shirt.

"It's just a graze." Rhiannon told her breathlessly, waving a hand in feigned nonchalance as soon as she noticed the horrified expression on Maggie's face.

"Daddy's coming, don't worry." She told her solemnly. Maggie looked out to the field where Glenn was helping their father into the truck. Her eyes moved to where Rick was, making sure he was ok, but they soon narrowed in confusion when she noticed two other figures standing with their leader. They suddenly widened when she realized what exactly she was looking at.

"Oh shit." She muttered.

"What?" Rhiannon asked, looking up at Maggie in concern at the shocked expression on her face. She turned her head to where she was looking and at first she didn't process what she was seeing.

It took a couple of seconds for it to sink in that she really was seeing him. Even from the distance between them, she knew it was him, and her stomach twisted nervously.

* * *

Daryl was almost trembling in anticipation. He was so close to seeing her again, it was driving him crazy.

He turned to Rick who was watching Merle wearily, and sighed deeply. He knew his brother was going to cause trouble, but at this point he didn't even care. He was aching to see Rhiannon and make sure she was ok.

Hearing the sound of gunfire coming from the prison had almost stopped his heart in fear. He couldn't describe the feeling that came over him as he sprinted towards home.

Rick could see the desperation on the archer's face and the way his gaze kept drifting to the courtyard, trying to get a glimpse of the person he was sure was the reason the man was back.

"Come on." He said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and urging him forward, not sparing a glance at the other man that hung back, hesitating before following behind the two of them.

Rick was just glad Merle had managed to keep his mouth shut so far.

The three men made their way through the broken gate and hurried up the path to the courtyard, making sure they didn't catch the attention of the remaining walkers in the field.

Carl ran to open the gate when he noticed them approaching. "Dad, we need help!" He yelled.

Rick frowned deeply and quickened his pace, his heart beginning to beat faster. He could hear Daryl and Merle following behind him. When he got closer to the courtyard, he saw Axel's lifeless body and he swallowed thickly, averting his eyes from the gruesome sight.

He was practically running and as soon as he was close, he pulled Carl into him, making sure his son was ok.

"What happened, are you ok?" Rick asked breathlessly, unsettled by the look on his son's face.

Before Carl could answer, Rick looked up and his eyes widened, his lips parting in shock. His body went rigid when he saw Glenn pick Rhiannon up as gently as possible, the large blood stain on her side making his heart jump.

His eyes stung and he let out a pathetic sounding gasp, but the moment he saw her face twist and her body squirm in Glenn's arms made him relax slightly. She was still alive, she was ok.

Things were still for a few seconds, but Rick was able to shake off his shock and immediately turned to Daryl, putting a hand on his chest to stop him as he lunged forward, his eyes wild and glazed over.

Daryl growled like an animal, pushing at Rick's arms that held him back. "Let me go!" He yelled, his eyes never leaving her. The sight of her limp, bleeding body in Glenn's arms was like a waking nightmare.

As soon as he saw the body, he felt a jolt of fear run through him, but when he noticed the head of blonde hair and recognized exactly who it was, he was paralyzed and his mind went blank.

Rhiannon, his girl, was shot. He felt his eyes stinging as she was carried into the prison, further away from him, and he felt his temper reach a peak as Rick held him back from running to her.

"Daryl, calm down." Rick told him sternly, pushing at his chest.

"Get the fuck away from me, Rick." Daryl warned dangerously.

"I know you're worried, but you need to relax. This isn't gonna help her."

"Rick, I swear to god, let me go see-"

"I think you're the last person she wants to see right now!" Rick yelled, eyeing him like a father would a child who was in trouble. He had no patience trying to reason with him when he was like this.

Daryl glared at his friend and began to pace like a caged animal, his body buzzing with rage. Carol noticed the yelling and made her way to the men, getting in between them before Daryl could start throwing punches, something she was sure he was about to do.

She stood in front of Daryl, trying to meet his gaze, but it was like he was stuck in a trance, his mind locked on the woman he loved that was hurt.

"It's just a graze. Hershel can stitch her up and she's gonna be just fine." She reassured him with a soothing voice.

"Daryl," She urged louder and he finally stopped, his eyes meeting hers. "She's fine."

Carol smiled sadly when Daryl nodded, the wild anger in his eyes morphing into one of absolute sadness. Her gaze shifted to Merle who was watching his brother closely and she was surprised by the concern she saw on his face. She didn't feel like she was looking at the same abrasive man she'd known back at the quarry in Atlanta.

"Come inside." She told them softly, grabbing onto Daryl's arm to pull him forward.

"Is she…" Daryl started with a quiet voice that made Carol's chest ache. "Has she... been ok?"

Carol paused, floundering for words and that was all Daryl needed for an answer. His face fell and he squeezed his eyes shut.

Rick watched the man suffer internally with guilt and regret and he suddenly felt bad for his outburst and his words. He placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, squeezing in assurance.

"You're here now. You'll work things out, but right now, we got other things to worry about."

Daryl bristled slightly at his words. To him, nothing was more important than Rhiannon, it didn't matter what was going on around him, she came first.

They walked into the prison and Daryl immediately felt as though everyone was staring at him. He looked to Maggie and Beth who looked indifferent by his presence and quickly left to go into the cell where Hershel was working on Rhiannon.

He suddenly wondered if he made the right decision. This was what he worried about, he didn't want to see their accusatory stares. He knew he fucked up, he didn't need anyone to tell him.

Daryl slumped into a seat at the table, burying his face into his hands and breathed deeply, trying to force himself to calm down.

His hands were still shaking slightly and he worried that he was about to spiral into a full fledged anxiety attack.

He longed to be with her, to be close to her. He hated being so close, but still being apart.

"Hey," Carol said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She's gonna be ok."

Her words didn't make him feel much better. She was going to be ok, but were _they_ going to be ok?

* * *

 **So much drama!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter despite it being depressing as fuck.**

 **As always a huge thank you to everyone that reviews, you guys are the reason this story has gotten this far! Love you all xx**


	48. Chapter 48

"How much blood have I lost?" Rhiannon asked, holding back another wince as her father stitched up her wound.

"Not too much, you won't need a transfusion."

"Enough to hallucinate, maybe?"

Hershel looked up at her with a weak smile on his face. "He really came back, just like I told you he would."

Rhiannon took in a shaking breath and looked down at her hands, avoiding her father's gaze. She didn't know what to feel. It was as if there were too many emotions swirling through her, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what she was feeling. She really just felt more numb than anything, well except for the burning pain in her side.

"What's going through your head?" Hershel asked her, placing his hand over hers to help ground her back to reality.

"I don't know, it's moving too fast for me to figure it out."

"You don't seem too thrilled to have him back."

Rhiannon sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. "He left me. I shouldn't just fall back into his arms, right?" She asked, but before Hershel could respond, she groaned loudly, hanging her head back on her shoulders. "I'm asking my father for relationship advice, I've reached rock bottom." She mumbled, making him laugh.

"Don't be so dramatic." He said with a small smile. "But you're right. You shouldn't just give in. He hurt you and he needs to know."

"You're not gonna do anything to him, are you?" She asked, feeling a little suspicious by the underlying anger in his voice that she was sure she heard.

Hershel just gave her a look of amused impatience. He definitely wasn't going to do anything to Daryl, maybe give him a stern, fatherly glare, but he knew the man meant well. He wasn't going to make Daryl feel bad about the situation when it was clear he was already so torn up about it.

Hershel look at her sadly and he couldn't help but study her, looking for any more injuries. His eyes locked onto the bruises on her neck, something that had become like a reflex since he'd first noticed them. It made his blood boil each time.

At least they were beginning to fade.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You two will sort this out, I know you will."

Rhiannon bit her lip, but stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond. She didn't want to keep thinking about this, she was so tired of dwelling on it. It was all she'd been doing since the second he walked away from her.

Maggie suddenly stepped into the cell, looking at her sister in concern. "You doing ok?"

"I'll live." Rhiannon shrugged, trying to hide just how on edge she really was.

"Really, cause you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Can you do me a favour?" She asked suddenly, disregarding Maggie's words. "Can you bring my stuff down here?"

Maggie looked stunned by her request and her gaze turned to her father, as if looking for permission. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine in here."

Maggie nodded, realizing this wasn't the time to debate whether or not she should be doing these passive aggressive things just to spite Daryl. She left without another word and made her way up to Rhiannon's cell - her old cell.

She grabbed a bag of her clothes and gathered the rest of her things, hesitating when she saw the hoodie she knew was Daryl's but had seen her sister wearing enough times that it was practically hers at this point. She sighed and passed by the hoodie, it would probably only upset Rhiannon.

Maggie ducked her head as she stepped out of the cell as if that would make her invisible. She could feel eyes staring right through her and she couldn't keep ignoring it. She looked up and her eyes locked with Daryl's and the hurt look on his face was something she'd never seen from him.

Daryl knew what she was doing, and it completely destroyed him. He had to look away.

Maggie winced and quickly made her way back to her sister.

Rhiannon perked up when she returned, sitting up on the bunk with a barely restrained groan of pain. "Did you get-"

"Of course." Maggie replied instantly, holding up her beloved ipod.

"Thanks."

Maggie had a wooden smile on her face as she sat on the edge of the bunk, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "This is probably none of my business - well it is kinda my business, you're my sister-"

"Maggie." Rhiannon urged, not having the patience to hear her ramble.

"Are you really gonna drag this out?" She blurted out. "That man loves you, that's the reason he's back. How long are you gonna pretend you don't love him?"

"I'm not pretending anything. I still love him, but I'm hurt. He's done this kind of thing before and if I give in every time what's gonna stop him from doing it again? I can't keep going through this."

Maggie narrowed her eyes, staring at her sister in question. "What do you mean he's done this before?"

Rhiannon hesitated, her face creasing in sadness as she thought back to their first kiss. "Back at the farm, our first kiss, he got freaked out and pushed me away, said horrible things. God, that whole first week he did nothing but push me away."

"You can't compare that Daryl to the one sitting out there right now. He's changed so much since then."

"I know he has." Rhiannon said, sighing heavily. "It seems like every time I think of a reason to be mad, my mind immediately comes up with a solution, a reason to take him back."

Maggie smile sadly and reached for her hand. "I get what you're saying, you should make him sweat a bit. After seeing you so upset the past few days, I wanna yell at him, make him realize how stupid he was for leaving, but I get the feeling he already knows."

"I don't wanna keep him at arms length just to be spiteful, I'm not that much of a bitch. I'm hurt and I'm scared that he could leave when things were so good between us. I can't help but be paranoid."

Maggie nodded in understanding, her heart aching for her older sister. She could tell she felt so run down by this whole situation. "Why don't you get some rest."

"I'm fine." Rhiannon brushed her off, but Maggie could see how tired she really was.

"You just got shot, rest."

"It was a graze." Rhiannon argued weakly, her voice sleepy and slow. Maggie smiled at her and helped her lay on her bunk, pulling the covers over her.

It was strange for Maggie to take the caregiving role between them, it had always been Rhiannon's job. It felt nice and Maggie wished she got to do it more. It was the least she could do after everything Rhiannon had been through.

She watched her for a few seconds, as if making sure she was really asleep and relaxed. It was only when Rhiannon's breathing had evened out and it was clear she'd fallen asleep, that Maggie felt reassured enough to leave.

As soon as she stepped out of Rhiannon's cell, her eyes met Daryl's again, and she quickly looked down. It was hard enough for her to look at him, just knowing what had happened, she couldn't imagine how Rhiannon felt, actually living this lovers quarrel.

* * *

Daryl was pacing back and forth, his hands grabbing at his hair. He was sure he looked like a junkie going through withdrawal, he looked certifiably crazy.

It had been hours since he'd gotten back to the prison, almost everyone was in bed by now, and he still hadn't seen her aside from the fleeting glimpse of her bleeding and twisting in pain while getting carried by Glenn.

He wanted to see her, wanted to at least ease his mind and see that she was ok, but he couldn't find the courage to approach her.

"She's ok."

Daryl flinched and turned abruptly to look at Hershel. He suddenly felt very shameful and had to avert his eyes.

"The painkillers make her drowsy, she's sleeping. She should be back to normal tomorrow, just going to be a little sore."

Daryl nodded, keeping his gaze on his boots. He felt very scrutinized under Hershel's eyes. He had made his daughter cry, had abandoned her after she had been tormented by a psychopath. He was almost positive the farmer would ditch all his religious beliefs to get back at Daryl for what he'd done.

"We should talk." Hershel suddenly said, and Daryl swore he felt his stomach drop to his feet. He had dealt with people looking down on him his entire life, but having his girlfriend's father look down on him was so much worse.

He never thought he'd be in this position.

Hershel motioned for him to follow and with the reluctance of a child who was sent to the principal's office, Daryl walked behind him with his head down.

Hershel sat and watched with a heavy heart as Daryl took a seat across from him. He could tell the man was nervous, probably more nervous that he'd ever seen him.

Despite the rocky first impression, Hershel admired the man in front of him. He had inklings about his rough past and seeing how he'd grown since being with his daughter, Hershel couldn't help but feel proud of Daryl and the man he had become.

"You know, Rhiannon has always been so secretive. I never knew what she was up to. I even had to find out when she was performing by looking at Juilliard's website, she would never tell us. She's a very confident woman, but she always had trouble talking about herself, talking about her feelings."

Daryl looked at the older man and nodded slowly. He knew that Rhiannon wasn't one to talk about what was going on with her. She had no problem airing out the problems she had with other people and confronting them, but when it came to her own, personal problems, she was like a locked vault.

"She would always try to hide how she felt, but with you, it was so different. She never had any trouble showing just how infatuated she was with you."

Daryl felt his cheeks flame red and he suddenly wished he were anywhere else. Hershel noticed his reaction and it only made him respect the man even more. He didn't get cocky and puff out his chest, he could tell the man felt so grateful and honoured to have Rhiannon's affection.

"You can't beat yourself up about this."

Daryl's face creased in confusion and he looked at Hershel in surprise. "Why not? I figured you over everyone would wanna tear me a new one."

"You're not the kind of man who would abandon his family."

"But I did." Daryl said simply, his voice laced with regret.

Hershel's eyes widened at the revelation. Daryl wasn't the kind of person to show affection to others, but hearing him call them his family was the ultimate show of how much they meant to him.

"You made a mistake, that doesn't make you a bad person. And you're here now, you knew you made the wrong decision."

Daryl stayed quiet. He knew he had made the wrong decision the second he saw Rhiannon crying, but yet he still left.

"I hurt her." He muttered gruffly, staring down at his hands.

"You did." Hershel said, but there was no malice in his voice, something Daryl had trouble wrapping his mind around. "But like I said, making a mistake doesn't mean you can never be forgiven."

"You really think she's gonna forgive me after what I did?" Daryl asked, almost sarcastically, like he already knew she never would.

"Daryl, my daughter loves you."

Daryl felt his breathing hitch and he closed his eyes. She loved him, but that didn't guarantee she would forgive him. He swallowed thickly, feeling a lump in his throat. The last thing he wanted was to show Hershel just how emotional he was, he hated admitting it to even himself.

Hershel sighed and looked at him sadly, noticing the look of self hatred and hopelessness on his face. "Don't give up." He told him and got up from his seat, sensing that the hunter would prefer to be alone.

He stopped before he could retreat to his cell. "I'm glad your back, son. This group isn't the same without you."

Daryl lips parted but he had no words. He was more than a little surprised by Hershel's nice words, but he couldn't ignore the warm feeling that flowed through him, that feeling of acceptance he never experienced before he met Rhiannon.

The sound of an amused chuckle tore Daryl from his thoughts and he turned on his heel, sending a stern glare to his brother who watched from the cell he was being locked up in. He felt embarrassed that Merle had seen him like that, stressed and with a bleeding heart. He thought he'd been sleeping.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up." Daryl spat back, storming into the cell block and making his way up to the cell that he used to share with her.

* * *

Rhiannon was still feeling disoriented and tired from the painkillers the next morning, but with Governor's latest attack hanging over them, it didn't feel right to just stay in bed all day. She zipped up the sweater she wore all the way in an attempt to hide the bruises on her neck. If Daryl saw them he'd flip out and she didn't want to deal with that right now.

She trudged out of her cell, taking slow steps to the common room. She had managed to avoid Daryl yesterday, but she knew it was unlikely to hold out any longer.

She missed him and she wanted to be with him, but she had her reservations. She hated that he had left her, especially when she was in such a fragile place after being in the hands of the Governor.

She couldn't just let him back in and forget how hurt she was.

His eyes met hers the second she walked into the room. Her heart began to flutter wildly at the way he looked at her in relief, like he was finally able to breathe again. A small smile began to grow, but when her eyes drifted over to Merle who sat next to his brother and she saw the way he looked at her with curiosity, it made her smile fall and she had to force herself to keep walking.

She reached for a granola bar, but quickly put her arm down, hissing in pain at the pull in her side.

Daryl, who had seen her pull back in pain, was getting to his feet, ready to help her, when Carol rushed to her side. He sighed and slumped back in his seat, looking dejected.

"I got it." Carol said with a smile, reaching up and grabbing the bar for her.

"Who was the idiot that put that on the top shelf?" Rhiannon muttered, making Carol laugh.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, just a little sore."

"Surprised you got any rest yesterday with all the yelling?"

"Yelling?" Rhiannon asked in confusion, her eyes drifted over to the Dixon brother's briefly, clearly assuming Merle had something to do with it.

"We had a group meeting, Rick didn't seem too thrilled about doing anything to retaliate and your Dad let him have an earful, never heard him like that."

"My dad yelled at Rick?" She asked in disbelief. She'd definitely heard him yell before, that was pretty much the extent of any conversation they had when she was a teenager, but to yell at their leader? That was much more surprising.

Carol nodded, her eyes flickering over to Daryl and back to her not so subtly, making Rhiannon sigh and roll her eyes.

"Just ask."

"Have you talked to him yet?" Carol finally asked, making sure to keep her voice lowered.

"No. I don't even know what to say."

"Well, you should. This group can't handle any more divide. We're weak, more than we've ever been before, and we need you two." Carol told her, feeling more like a mother than she had in months.

"How does our relationship help the group in any way?"

"You two give us hope. We see you happy and so in love, and it makes us realize that this isn't really the end of the world."

Rhiannon was slightly taken aback by Carol's words and looked up at the woman with wide eyes, clearly touched. She suddenly smirked and looked down, not wanting to get too emotional. "Did you get that from a Hugh Grant movie?"

Carol laughed and nudged her lightly with her shoulder. "You're such a brat." She said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Daryl watched the two women he was closest to talk and seeing Rhiannon smile gave him hope that he could work things out. Sure, he was more nervous than he'd ever been in his life to approach her, but seeing her beautiful face light up with that heart stopping smile made him remember just how worth it it would be to put himself out there, no matter how loud she yelled at him.

She would always be worth it. He would go through any kind of hell to see her smile.

"Well, fuck me, Darleena." Merle started, his gaze locked onto Rhiannon, and his voice loud enough to catch her attention. "Now I know why you were cryin' so damn much. Takes a dumb man to walk away from a broad like that."

Rhiannon stared back at Merle blankly, as if she were bored as he looked her up and down appreciatively, but on the inside, her stomach twisted and she fumed silently. She didn't want to show just how much she hated him, she didn't want him to know he was getting a rise out of her.

Daryl clenched his fists and sent a fierce glare to his brother. He was about to start berating him when Rhiannon beat him to it.

"Takes an even dumber man to get punched by one." She retorted with a smirk.

Merle's smile fell into a scowl that reminded her so much of Daryl's, it was almost scary. Daryl had no trouble smirking in satisfaction at his brother's expense and watched his girl walk away fondly.

"Damn bitch." Merle mumbled, ruining any and all good feelings Daryl may have had at the moment. He grit his teeth and had to fight back the very strong impulse to knock him on his ass for the comment.

"You're on thin fuckin' ice, man." Daryl growled, quickly getting to his feet and following her out.

He slowed his stride, suddenly realizing what he was doing, and approached her cell with the confidence of the person he'd been at the farm. He was awkward as he stepped into view, not able to decide whether or not to actually enter her cell or just lean in the doorway.

Rhiannon looked up, noticing his presence and her eyes softened when she noticed how agitated he looked. It made her feel better knowing it wasn't just her that was struggling.

"Hey." He spoke quietly, his eyes looking everywhere but hers.

"Hi."

"Sorry about him. Never knows when to keep his mouth shut."

Rhiannon shrugged. "It's nothing. I've dealt with worse."

Daryl looked down at his feet, her words didn't make him feel better at all. "You ok?" He asked, his eyes finally meeting hers, as if looking for any indication that she was hurt.

"Yeah, it's not serious, just a graze."

Daryl clenched his jaw, he wanted to kill the son of a bitch that shot her. He couldn't describe the kind of anger that flowed through him at the fact that it was so close to being so much worse.

"I'm sorry." He blurted out, making Rhiannon look back at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected him to be so forward. "I never should've left, knew it from the start."

"Why did you come back?" She asked suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"Thought it was obvious." He shrugged, looking at her shyly as he began to bite at his nails nervously. "Can't stand bein' away from you."

Rhiannon tried to keep her face passive and not give away how she practically melted at his words, but she knew she was failing miserably when her lip started to quiver and the dam began to break.

"I needed you." She whispered, wiping at a single tear that fell.

Daryl felt breathless as he watched her crumble right in front of him and he stepped forward. Though he was still hesitant to pull her into him, he settled for just standing by her. He had ached to be close to her for days, and he was more than happy to indulge.

"After what happened, I needed you with me."

Rhiannon had felt so lost dealing with the aftermath of Woodbury without him. She had been reeling from his absence and she didn't know how to simultaneously handle the trauma that the Governor had inflicted without him by her side.

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, the sound of her weak voice cutting him deep. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. He looked up at her and he bit at his lip nervously. "What happened in Woodbury?"

Rhiannon tried to hide her scared expression and she looked away from his intense blue eyes. "I don't wanna talk about it, not now."

Daryl nodded, but he couldn't ignore the wave of disappointment that washed over him. "Whenever you wanna...I'm here, I'm always gonna be here for you."

Rhiannon felt her heart swell, that deep voice was so comforting and she couldn't resist any longer. She rushed forward, almost knocking him off balance as she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly.

It took barely a second for Daryl to respond and he held her tightly, his hands grasping at her sweater. He leaned his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. It seemed like all the stress and agony that lay on his shoulders was immediately vanquished as he held her.

"I'm so fucking sorry." He breathed out and Rhiannon tightened her grip on him in response.

She couldn't get over how safe she felt in his arms. This was the kind of security and affection she had missed with his absence. It felt so good to have him back.

Rhiannon suddenly realized what she was doing and pulled away abruptly, breathing heavily. "I can't…"

"Rhi,"

"I'm mad at you." She said, as if having to remind herself.

Her words were like a punch in the gut to him, even though her voice held no sharpness or anger like he expected. She just sounded tired and broken down. In some way, that made it worse.

Daryl nodded in understanding, swallowing thickly. "I'm mad at me too."

Rhiannon felt her whole body deflate when she saw the hurt expression on his face. "Please don't look at me like that." She pleaded sadly. "Look, I still love you, that's not gonna change. I'm just mad."

Daryl look at her with hope brimming in his eyes and he longed to wrap her in his arms again.

"Just let me be mad."

He nodded, understanding that it was unlikely she would forgive him in an instant, but he couldn't help but feel disheartened. Realism be damned, he was upset.

"I'll give you as much time as you need." He muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Rhiannon watched as he took slow steps out of her cell and she had to fight the urge to call out to him, drag him back in and have her way with him. She needed him so bad, but she just couldn't forget that she needed him three days ago and he wasn't there.

Daryl stopped before he left, turning back to her with a small, bashful smile on his face. "Hey, I like the haircut."

Rhiannon looked at him in delighted surprise and smiled softly, tucking a strand behind her ear. "Thought you didn't want me to cut it."

Daryl just shrugged. "You look beautiful either way. Could shave it all off and you'd still be miles out of my league."

Her cheeks flushed red and she had to look away, she couldn't handle the intense look of need in his gaze, it was too much for her. She suddenly felt guilty for her spiteful makeover, though it was mostly out of disgust of what the Governor had said to her. She couldn't deny that doing it to hurt Daryl was an added bonus at the time.

"I'll see you later." He said and left swiftly before he could change his mind.

Rhiannon bit her lip and she began to pace back and forth in her cell. She contemplated following him and hashing it out then and there, but she needed to keep a clear head. She didn't want to fight right now, as much as she didn't want to act weak, she _was_ just shot, and there was too much going on right now.

They needed to put their relationship problems on the back burner for now.

She was about to say screw it to her rationality and go get him, when Carl stormed into the prison, and she rushed forward, her eyes scanning him for any signs that he was hurt.

"What's going on?"

"Andrea's here." He breathed out, leaving the rest of them in a stunned silence.

Rhiannon wasn't too thrilled to hear about her arrival and she stayed behind everyone else, leaning against the wall as the woman entered. Watching as she embraced Carol warmly, Rhiannon couldn't help but feel annoyed. Her relationship with the Governor had her skeptical, she didn't trust Andrea very much at the farm, and she sure as hell didn't trust her at all now.

"Where's Shane?" She asked, searching the group for the familiar face.

Rhiannon bristled at the mention of him and noticed Daryl's fists clench tightly. Rick spared a quick glance to Rhiannon, having been a sore subject for the both of them, and he shook his head wordlessly.

"And Lori?"

Rhiannon cringed slightly, Andrea wasn't making this reunion very welcoming.

"I'm so sorry." Andrea whispered, realizing all the friends they had lost.

The silence that suffocated them made it clear none of them were interested in what Andrea wanted, companionship for old times sake. They were all different from the people they had been on the farm, Andrea included, and the way they all kept her at arms length was telling that they didn't trust her.

Andrea shifted under the watchful eyes on her. "I'm not an enemy."

"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence and shot us up. Killed one of our own, shot Rhiannon." Rick told her harshly.

Andrea's eyes widened and she turned to her, silently asking if it was true. Rhiannon didn't say anything, just kept looking at her cooly, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"He said you fired first."

This time, Rhiannon scoffed audibly. "Is that what he said about Woodbury too?"

"I didn't even know you were there until after the shoot out."

"That was days ago." Glenn argued, still on edge from the whole experience there.

"I told you, I came as soon as I could." Andrea defended herself and Rhiannon resisted the urge to scoff again.

"Is the Governor keeping you in Woodbury against your will?" She asked and Andrea suddenly went quiet, her head hanging in what was probably shame, at least Rhiannon hoped it was. She couldn't believe this woman was still trying to defend the man after what she'd seen him do that night at the arena.

"Look, I'm not here to fight." She started, feeling like she was about to lose control of everything she was trying to do by coming to see them. "I cannot excuse or explain what Philp has done. But I'm here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."

"There's nothing to work out." Rick snapped back at her, glaring at her fiercely. "We're gonna kill him."

Andrea shook her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. This wasn't the same Rick she'd know, he'd grown so cold. "We can settle this. There is room at Woodbury for all of you."

Again, Rhiannon couldn't hold back a scoff. "That's not gonna happen."

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he tell you that?" Hershel interjected, always the voice of reason.

"No." Andrea admitted disheartenedly.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because he's gearing up for war. The people are terrified, they see you as killers. They're training to attack."

For some strange reason she couldn't explain, Andrea's words didn't strike fear in Rhiannon. She wanted a fight, she wanted the Governor to pay for what he did and a part of her she didn't know existed, a part that was more revengeful than she realized, wasn't completely turned off by the thought of a fight.

She stiffened, suddenly realizing how wrong her thoughts were. It was Daryl's familiar gruff voice that brought her out of her head.

"I'll tell you what. Next time you see Philip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

Daryl's threat was punctuated by the brief glance he sent Rhiannon, as if sending her a promise that he would hurt the man that dared to put his hands on her. She looked down, averting her gaze. She knew he meant it, she knew Daryl would move mountains to get revenge for her, and the thought simultaneously made her swoon and put her on edge.

The look in Daryl's eyes seemed to soften the longer he looked at her and he sighed deeply, knowing now wasn't the time to dive into the other problem going on. He knew Rhiannon wanted her space and it was the least he could do to give it to her.

He reluctantly moved his gaze away from her and brought himself back to the argument in front of him.

Andrea sighed, realizing she was pleading with a deaf audience. "Rick, if you don't sit down and try to work this out, people are going to die. Innocent people."

"Well, _Philip_ should've thought of that before he tried to fuck with us." Rick spat, saying the opposing leader's name in disgust, before turning his back on her and marching away into the cell block, leaving the rest of them in a tense silence.

* * *

Rhiannon had stayed in her cell, she couldn't be bothered trying to pretend to be jovial with Andrea. She just couldn't handle putting on a fake smile after everything that had happened, it wasn't worth it.

She felt bad for hiding away from everyone, but she was sure they understood after the week they all had.

A soft knock made her look up from the book she wasn't really reading and she was surprised to see Andrea standing in her cell, looking as awkward as she felt.

"Hey." The woman smiled sheepishly.

"What do you need?" Rhiannon asked, slightly wincing at the cold tone of her voice that she couldn't help but use.

"I just wanted to talk." She shrugged, trying to act casual, before her fake smile fell and she revealed just how tense she really was. "Look, I know this is a shitty thing to do, but I wanted to ask you...what happened to you in Woodbury?"

Rhiannon looked at the woman in surprise, slightly offended by her bluntness. Her lips parted but there were no words she could muster to answer.

"I'm sorry." Andrea quickly said. "I just wanna know, what did he do to you?"

* * *

Daryl had been sitting at the table, tapping his fingers anxiously. He couldn't take any more of Merles comments and he had to get away. He had to see her.

He knew he should do the noble thing and give her the space she clearly wanted, but another part of him, the part that was aching to be with her again, ruled over his rationality. He made his way to her cell, but slowed his steps to a stop right outside when he heard hushed voices.

"-What did he do to you?"

Daryl swallowed thickly, his heart beginning to race at Andrea's question. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, especially about such a sensitive topic, but he couldn't deny that he was dying to know the answer too.

* * *

"You wanna know what Philip did to me?" Rhiannon asked, her voice monotonous and lifeless.

Andrea nodded, her brows furrowing in concern at the tone of her voice. She hadn't known Rhiannon very well or for very long, but she knew enough to know that the woman was usually very happy and carefree. She hadn't seen her so downtrodden before, even when the whole Shane fiasco was going on.

"He took me away from Maggie, kept us separated." She started slowly, her eyes glued to a spot on the wall so she didn't have to look at Andrea. "I knew from the second he saw me that something was wrong. The way he looked at me...It was like...I dunno, he just seemed so taken."

Andrea looked at Rhiannon with narrowed eyes, her face creasing in confusion. She didn't like where this was going.

"I looked like his wife. He was pretending I was her." She breathed out, her voice beginning to break as she thought back to that horrible night. "He didn't like that I had tattoos or piercings, I guess she didn't have any and it ruined the illusion. He tore my ring out, he pulled my hair, said he always liked it when I kept it long."

Andrea looked like she was about to be sick. She couldn't believe that the man she had lay next to, the man she had seen as a righteous leader, had been so fucking insane.

"He took his belt off, I could hear it from behind me, and at that point I wasn't scared of him killing me anymore. I thought if he was gonna do... _that_...I would've preferred to just end it then."

"Did he..?" Andrea asked, her voice strained.

"No." Rhiannon said harshly, sending a glare to Andrea. She began to unzip her sweater, revealing the damning evidence of what the Governor did. "He wrapped his belt around my neck and pulled until I almost blacked out."

The other woman looked like she was about to be sick and Rhiannon hated the guilty and sympathetic look on her face. Before she could say anything else, a loud crash sounded from outside her cell, making her flinch.

Rhiannon rushed past Andrea and she felt her stomach drop when she saw Daryl storming out of the prison, slamming the door behind him, making Beth, who was sitting at the table, jump out of her skin.

She could tell just from how tense his shoulders had been that he was pissed beyond belief.

"Shit." Rhiannon whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes.

"Did he-"

"Yeah." _He heard everything._

Rick stepped out of his cell, looking at the others in concern. "What happened?"

Rhiannon ignored him and the others that looked at her curiously, and followed Daryl out of the prison. She stayed in the doorway and watched as he paced angrily, his hands clenched into fists.

"Daryl-"

"Is that true? He really…" He trailed off, unable to repeat what she'd said, he was barely even able to think about what he'd done to her without feeling rage take over every inch of him.

The anger heard in his voice kept Rhiannon quiet. She hadn't had to deal with this kind of rage in a long time, she almost forgot how intimidating he could be when he got like this.

He finally turned to face her and she almost flinched at the intense rage she saw on his face. His eyes moved down and now that her sweater was off he could see the faint bruises that spread across her neck.

His eyes turned murderous at the sight and he took in a ragged breath, his hands crawling into his hair. He turned his back on her as he silently raged and Rhiannon watched him with concern. She didn't know what he was going to do.

"Daryl," She called out to him to try and calm him down when he suddenly kicked at the fence beside them and picked up one of the wooden barriers and threw it down the catwalk.

"You didn't wanna tell me any of that shit but you had no fuckin' problem tellin' Andrea?" He yelled, turning around to face her.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't!" He screamed at her, his eyes furious. "Don't you fuckin' apologize to me for what that psycho did to you."

Daryl knew deep down he needed to stop, that he needed to calm down because he was probably only pushing her farther away by yelling at her, but he couldn't stop himself. He was shaking with anger, he couldn't remember a time he had ever been this furious.

The thought of what had happened to her in Woodbury sent him reeling and he didn't know how to process it, at least in a healthy way, which he definitely wasn't doing.

He felt a kind of self hatred he had never felt before, one that was greater than any other moment of regret in his life. All he ever wanted to do was protect her and he knew he had failed by walking away from her, but knowing that he walked away after she'd been tormented and strangled, that left him drowning in guilt.

He ran his hands over his face and cursed under his breath. Rhiannon's face crumpled as she watched him spiral and she looked down at her shoes. "Daryl, please, let's just-"

"Let's what?" His loud voice thundered. He hung his head and ran his hand over his face, taking shaking breaths. "He almost...and I just left you." He said, his voice now lost of all anger. He sounded weak and Rhiannon hated that she could recognize the self deprecating tone of his voice because it was something she'd heard before.

"You almost died and I left you crying an' bleedin' on the side of the road." He said softly, his voice now practically a whisper.

She felt her heart break when she saw him wipe at his eyes. She walked forward slowly, like she was approaching a wild animal, and reached for his hands that were trembling.

"Just stop, please." She whispered, sniffling and forcing her voice not to waver.

Daryl felt himself calm slightly at her touch and squeezed her hands in his. He looked up at her in anguish and almost immediately, his gaze trailed down to her neck again, and the fire in his eyes was back.

 _I'm mad at you._

The words she had said before made him want to scream, or maybe break something. They struck a pain in his chest he had never felt before and it briefly made him wonder if it was a heart attack and not just his emotions spinning out of control.

"Daryl-"

He shook his head and pulled away, turning around so she wouldn't see him break. "Just leave me alone." He mumbled, finding it hard to look into those big brown eyes and not feel so damn guilty, even though she hadn't been looking at him with any kind of anger or blame.

Rhiannon nodded, she knew they wouldn't be able to have a calm or rational talk when he was like this and she figured giving him space was the only thing she could do for him.

She took a step back, but stopped before she left. "I meant what I said. I still love you. Don't forget that." She said softly, almost sounding like she was pleading with him.

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, her words only made him feel worse, they made the guilt feel as though it was suffocating him.

* * *

The sound of Beth's soft voice was calming to everyone. Rhiannon watched her with a small smile until a soft nudge at her side tore her attention away.

"Need more chocolate chips." Carl told her with a smile. Rhiannon handed him the bag of chocolate so he could sprinkle more into the jar of peanut butter he was eating, a delicacy that she had shown him much to his father's dismay.

Rhiannon could feel eyes on her and she knew exactly who it was, he'd been looking at her all night. She looked up and she hoped he could see that there was no anger in her eyes. She was angry before, but after seeing him so worked up and overcome with guilt, she knew his anger at himself rivaled the anger she had towards him.

She hated when he got like that it made any kind of anger she had towards him disappear.

Carl noticed the way Daryl looked at her softly, but so full of hurt, and looked back at Rhiannon. "Did you guys break up?" He asked softly, making her look down at him with wide eyes.

"No. It's just complicated right now."

Carl nodded, her vague answer making it obvious to him she didn't want to talk about it.

"Dad's taking me on a run tomorrow." He told her, changing the subject.

Rhiannon looked at him with a smile. "Yeah? You wanna borrow my sword?" She teased, earning another playful nudge from him.

"Wish you were going with us. He wants to take the new girl instead."

"Her name's Michonne." Rhiannon said, slightly scolding him for the annoyed tone of his voice.

"I don't trust her."

"Maybe not yet, but she's good, I can tell."

Carl just shrugged. He still wished Rhiannon was going with them instead, but he knew arguing with his Dad about it wouldn't do anything, so he let it go.

Rhiannon watched him as he shoveled more peanut butter and chocolate into his mouth with wide, happy eyes, and let out a small laugh.

From across the room, the sound cut right through Daryl like a knife. He looked at her sadly, longing to reach out to her, but he couldn't, he knew he couldn't, not after what he did.

He felt stupid for thinking that he could just walk back in and expect nothing to have changed. He tried to hold onto that one small sliver of hope her words had given him. She loves him. He didn't know why, but he was going to count his blessings and be thankful for it.

He loved her too, so much it scared him. But he couldn't brush off the guilt he felt, not this time. He messed up and it was something he had to live with.

She was mad at him and she wanted time, Daryl was honestly surprised that was all she wanted. He figured she'd want to yell at him and never want to be with him again.

He wouldn't blame her if she did, no matter how much it would hurt him, he would understand. His eyes drifted down to her neck, he couldn't see the bruises in the dim lighting, but he knew they were there and it made his chest tighten painfully.

She looked up at him and caught him staring for what was probably the tenth time that night. She gave him a soft smile and his heart began to beat faster at the sight.

 _I still love you_

Her words gave him hope that she could forgive him, but there was no guarantee that he could forgive himself.

* * *

 **Man, I just can't stop being so depressing. I swear things will get better soon! We'll have some more Daryl and Rhiannon moments next chapter and definitely some Merle and Rhiannon moments.**

 **Hope you liked the small amount of fluff I was able to get in there between the angst.**

 **Huge thank you to Visenyas, ReedusIsLife, RHatch89, EastDenise, .2018, Heaven In A Rage, MissFlowerGirl13, Holly xoxo, LJH, Dawnie-7, acouvion, and HarryJamesPotterismyhero**

 **I appreciate you all taking the time to leave a review, it means the world to me! xx**


	49. Chapter 49

Rhiannon was broken from her sleep by a nudge to her shoulder. She let out a low moan and rolled over, immediately letting out a small yelp as she put pressure on her wound.

"Easy. You ok?" A hushed voice called out, holding onto her arm to steady her.

She opened her eyes and saw Rick looking down at her in concern. She nodded, wrapping an arm around herself as she sat up in her bunk.

"We're headin' out soon."

Rhiannon nodded, a small smirk on her face as she reached over to her bag and pulled out her ipod, holding it out for Rick. He let out a small laugh and took it, giving her a look of thanks, knowing Carl would appreciate it for the drive.

His smile slowly fell and he looked at her seriously. "I told Daryl to keep his eye on Merle, I'm hoping he can control his brother's motormouth." At the look of incredulity Rhiannon sent him, he sighed deeply. "I know things are tense right now, just try not to let him get under your skin. No matter how much I would love to see you knock his teeth out, I need you to keep your head clear, we can't be at each other's throats right now."

Rhiannon averted her gaze, running a hand through her short hair. It was too early for this conversation. "I'll try my best, but no promises." She mumbled.

Rick looked at her sadly, noticing how stressed she seemed. "Have you sorted things with Daryl?"

She looked up at him with hard eyes, unamused by his prying. That was a enough of an answer for him. He reached for her hand, holding it comfortingly to let her know he was only getting involved out of concern for the both of them.

"Talk to him today and work it out. You two can't handle any more separation."

Rhiannon was about to respond with her immediate disdain, but she held back, pausing for a moment. "I'll try." She said quietly.

Rick squeezed her hand one last time and stood, moving to leave her cell, but he stopped before he left. "You think I'm doing the right thing, bringing Michonne?"

"You've already trusted one chick with a sword, maybe you'll be two for two." She told him with a smirk, but sighed when she noticed Rick didn't look too convinced. "Rick she's done nothing but help us. There's no reason we shouldn't give her a chance."

The leader nodded, giving her a silent thanks, she'd always been someone who could give him advice and soothe any anxiety he had about a difficult decision he had to make.

"Be safe out there."

Rick smiled at her warmly. "Be safe in here."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, hearing him laugh as he left her cell. She knew it wouldn't be completely out of her character to resort to a punch or two to someone who was annoying her beyond belief. It happened with Shane and it was more than likely it would happen with Merle, again.

* * *

Daryl stared at the bottom of the bunk above him, feeling like it was all he'd been doing all night. He was actually surprised it was already morning.

He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, all he could see when he closed his eyes were the bruises on her neck. He could picture the Governor behind her, strangling her, and it made it impossible to close his eyes again.

He longed to be with her, to comfort her after what she'd been through, but he was too consumed with rage to be the person she needed. He needed to calm down, but he didn't know how. He probably wouldn't calm down until the Governor lay dead in front of him.

He let out a small groan as he sat up, moving his legs off the bunk. He lay his head in his hands, waiting for the pounding in his head to subside before he got up, but after waiting for a full minute without it stopping, he knew he was going to suffer with it all day.

"Daryl."

He flinched and looked up, scowling at Carl who was standing in the doorway of his cell. "The hell you want, Kid?"

"You're being an idiot." Carl said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest to give him a semblance of courage.

"Excuse me?" Daryl snarled, getting to his feet, but Carl didn't back down, he just kept up his steady glare.

"Why aren't you talking to Rhiannon?"

Daryl sighed and rubbed at his temples, already fed up with the conversation. "That ain't any of your business."

"It is my business cause Rhiannon's my friend, and so are you."

Daryl's scowl lightened and he looked at the kid with slight amusement by the ferocity in his voice. "Listen kid, this is adult stuff, ok? Just let me handle it."

"By handling it do you mean making her cry again?"

Daryl stiffened at his words and clenched his fists, feeling his agitation beginning to grow.

"I know you love her and I know why you left, but Merle seems like an asshole."

"Watch your mouth." Daryl interjected sternly, glaring at him, but Carl just smirked.

"What I'm saying is," Carl began impatiently. "Your brother doesn't compare to her. It's pretty obvious you're happier with Rhiannon than with Merle."

Daryl stared at Carl with his mouth hung open slightly, a bewildered expression on his face. He was more than taken aback by the kid's bluntness, but he couldn't deny that what he was saying made sense.

Daryl's silence seemed to be a good enough reaction for Carl and he left without another word, leaving the hunter to stew over his words by himself.

He wrung his hands together and slumped back down to his bunk. He knew without a doubt that Rhiannon was the one who made him happy, more than anyone else in his sorry life. What she made him feel, how she made him laugh, was miles past any good times he shared with Merle.

Daryl even had to think hard to remember a good memory with Merle, it was even harder to find one that didn't involve alcohol or drugs.

Rhiannon was a beacon of hope, a shining light in his life that his dark past couldn't overshadow, no matter how much it tried. Not even Merle could take away from that, no matter how much he may try.

* * *

Rhiannon kept her head down, avoiding all the conversations happening around her. She could tell whatever her sisters were talking about wasn't really what they wanted to be talking about. Their eyes that kept shifting over to her made it obvious they were more interested in the drama going on in her relationship.

"We need to make sure we have a constant look out." Glenn started and Rhiannon was more than thankful for the change of meaningless topics. "Rick says we're staying, the Governor isn't going to take this place from us. When Rick gets back we'll talk about clearing the rest of the prison and closing up the breach at the back."

As everyone began to section off for their duties that day, Rhiannon had an idea that she was sure would get her into trouble. She looked up at Daryl, as if seeing him would help change her mind, but he didn't look over at her. He sat in the corner, his head hanging as he sat next to Merle who was scowling at the rest of the group.

She didn't want to think about what happened the day before, how Daryl had lashed out. The guilt she had seen in his eyes hurt her in a way she hadn't expected.

Before she could dwell on it anymore, she finished what little breakfast she had and walked back to her cell.

Lacing her boots even tighter, she was about to reach for her weapon when she heard soft footsteps coming closer. She hesitated and moved away, sitting on her bunk, trying to look inconspicuous.

Carol stepped into her cell, smiling softly. "Hey, what are you up to today?"

Rhiannon tried to keep her face from telling how caught she felt and put on a blank expression. "Nothing, just waiting for my turn on watch." She said boredly. "How are you doing? We haven't really talked much lately, I know you and Axel were getting close."

Carol pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Trying to change the subject?"

"I can't ask you how you are?"

"I really don't think that should be what's on your mind right now."

Rhiannon sighed loudly, not even bothering to hide how annoyed she was. "Why is everyone so caught up in this? This is _my_ relationship, not yours."

"We're doing this because we care about you." Carol told her, he voice taking on a bit of an edge. She only wanted what was best for Rhiannon and Daryl and she hated seeing them the way they were now.

"Let me do this my way, ok? Just leave it alone." Rhiannon said, practically pleading with her.

Carol's eyes softened at the desperation in her voice and she nodded, suddenly feeling bad for getting involved. "I just hate seeing you like this."

"Not much easier going through it either." She mumbled.

Carol frowned and looked down at her shoes. "Just promise me you'll try and talk to him. I don't know what happened yesterday, but he's not acting like himself."

Rhiannon nodded slowly, biting at her lip nervously. Carol was right, while Daryl hadn't always been the kind of person who wore his heart on his sleeve, he was acting even further removed from everyone. It was like watching the man he'd been that first day at the farm.

With that, Carol left her and Rhiannon was alone. She felt guilty for what she was about to do, knowing everyone would be mad at her for being reckless, but for some reason, that wasn't enough to stop her.

She grabbed her sword and pulled the sheath across her back. Peaking out her cell, she finally moved when the coast was clear and no one was in her path. With light steps, she moved out of the cell block and into the dark hallways.

It was stupid, she knew that. Going through the tombs that were still crawling with walkers was dangerous, especially since she was alone, but she needed to let off steam and killing walkers was probably the most productive way she could do it. Not the safest or smartest, but her only option.

She walked through the halls slowly, her weapon held tightly in her hands. She managed to take down every walker that came in her path, thankfully not having to deal with more than three at a time.

She didn't know how much time she had spent wandering aimlessly, seeking out walkers. She didn't know how many she'd taken down, but she knew it wasn't enough.

The constant killing and the adrenaline rush it gave her, it wasn't enough. Every swing of her sword wasn't enough to let loose the anger the Governor had instilled inside her. It wasn't enough to let out the anger or the hurt Daryl had made her feel. It wasn't enough to get rid of the guilt of seeing Daryl in pain.

Low growls could be heard and she tensed, moving around the corner stealthily. She cursed under her breath, there were at least seven walkers. They didn't notice her so it was easier to swing at them and take them down when they weren't lunging for her.

When the last body fell, she leaned against the wall, panting heavily. She ran a hand through her hair and pulled slightly in frustration.

"Going fucking crazy." She whispered to herself.

"Well, well, that was a quite a show, lil' lady."

Rhiannon jumped and turned on her heel, holding her sword in front of her. She relaxed, only slightly, when she noticed Merle behind her, watching her with a smirk on his face.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" She asked abruptly.

"Just wanted to take a look around at my new home."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes at the sarcastic tone of his voice and stepped over the bodies that lay on the floor in front of her. She had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling at him to go away when she heard his footsteps following behind her.

"So you're the one that's been shakin' up with my brother."

"Yeah." She answered casually, not sparing a glance over at him as he fell into step with her.

"Listen, I don't want you gettin' your feelin's hurt, but my baby brother, he ain't exactly they boyfriend type."

Rhiannon smirked, she knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to let him get under her skin. She knew Daryl cared about her and nothing Merle said would change her mind about it. "A person can change a lot in a year, you'd know that if you didn't run off."

Merle just scoffed in response and Rhiannon felt her temper rise. "Daryl cares about me, that's why you're here right now. And deep down you know it."

Merle stopped walking and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "The only one that cares about a Dixon, is a Dixon, and you ain't one of us." He said darkly, glaring at her deeply.

"Are you really gonna ruin Daryl's happiness cause your fragile male ego can't handle not being depended on?"

Merle's eyes flamed with anger and his grip on her arm tightened. Rhiannon glared down at where he held her and she brought her sword up threateningly, the tip of the blade touching his chin. His eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting her to fight back the way she was. He took a step back, ceasing his grip on her.

"I know what kind of man you are. I saw it at Woodbury. You're just the back up, the man that does the dirty work no one else wants to do. But I saw the regret. No matter how much you wanna deny it, I saw that you didn't want to leave me alone with the Governor. You didn't want him to hurt me."

"Didn't give a shit what he did to you." Merle spat at her.

"Well, not enough to do anything. You gotta protect yourself, I get that. You know, you are like Daryl in a way. When I first met him he did nothing but push me away, he was too scared to get close to anyone. You're doing the same thing, I think because you know we'd never accept you, not after what you did."

Merle shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. The way her big eyes watched him carefully made him nervous, it was like she knew everything he was thinking, as if she knew all his secrets just by looking at him.

He thought back to when he left her with the Governor and she had looked at him with those big eyes, pleading with him. He could remember the way his chest tightened with regret when he closed the door behind him, leaving her with that monster.

"You don't know shit, Bambi."

Rhiannon smirked, letting out a light laugh. _What is it with Dixons and giving me disney nicknames?_

"I know more than you think, Merle." She said, eyeing him intently and relishing in the way he practically squirmed under her gaze. "I know you care about your brother, even though you show it in less than desired ways. I know that your father was a horrible man, but that you have the potential to be so much more than what he was, if you just gave a shit and tried."

Merle sneered at her and began pacing dangerously.

"I know it's hard for you to even say my name."

Merle stopped, freezing in his place. For the first time, Rhiannon saw past the careless facade he put on and noticed that he looked almost sad. She knew he had the same experience Daryl had in his childhood with their mother singing the song she was named after.

She knew it was an emotional memory for the both of them.

"You sure love the sound of your own voice, don'cha?" He told her sharply, his eyes looking at her in hatred.

"Look, you can hate me, you can make sexist comments, you can annoy me until my hair goes gray, but it's not gonna change the fact that I love your brother and it's not gonna change the fact that he loves me too."

"My brother left you, that really makes you think he loves you?" He asked with a chuckled, trying not to let her words get to him, but he seemed to be failing.

"Your brother came back." She reminded him smugly. "If you're so upset about finally seeing Daryl happy, then leave. No one's gonna stop you."

Merle was about to snap back at her but they suddenly both tensed at the sound of footsteps approaching. Rhiannon tightened her grip on her weapon, but her shoulders slumped in relief when she saw it was only Daryl walking around the corner, his bow held in his hands tightly.

"What's goin' on?" He asked, looking between Rhiannon and Merle suspiciously. He looked down, noticing the walkers that lay around them and furrowed his brows. He looked up at Rhiannon in accusation, giving her that same look of 'what the hell did you do now?' that she was so used to seeing. "The hell you doin' down here?"

Rhiannon's shoulders tensed at the slightly frantic edge to his voice and averted her gaze from his icy blue eyes that drove her wild.

"You alright?" He asked, noticing that her arm was wrapped around her torso, holding onto her injured side.

"'M fine. I gotta take watch." She mumbled, keeping her head down and not sparing a look at either of the Dixon's as she walked past them.

Daryl watched her go, his eyes narrowed in confusion. He turned to his brother and his eyes hardened.

"What the fuck were you doin'? You touch her?" He asked with a ferocity that only seemed to amuse Merle.

"Jesus, lil' brother. Wasn't putting the moves on your girl if that's what you're thinkin'."

"What'd you say to her?"

Merle shrugged, acting indifferent, like Rhiannon's words hadn't affected him. He refused to admit that she'd gotten under his skin, that her words had shaken him. "Just gettin' to know my sister in law." He joked, smirking at his brother.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Is everythin' a joke to you?"

Merle rolled his eyes and moved to walk away but Daryl stopped him, clamping his hand down his shoulder. "Stay away from her. I mean it Merle, don't start any shit with her." Daryl warned darkly.

"I don't even recognize you anymore. That bitch's got you actin' like a damn pussy whipped wimp."

Daryl tensed, forcibly having to hold back from beating his brother for his degrading words. "I changed Merle, for the better. You want all these people looking down at you like the rest of the world did, fine, but I don't, and they won't."

"So what, you're this righteous humble servant now? Following Officer friendly's rules?"

"I ain't a good for nothing asshole anymore." Daryl snapped back defensively. He sighed deeply, hesitating before speaking again. "I know you know you messed up. You can make things right."

Merle's face twisted, like he had just tasted something sour. "Man, shut the fuck up." He muttered, knocking Daryl's shoulder with his as he passed him.

He stomped away in frustration, his fists clenched tightly. He couldn't deny that both his brother and his girl had said the right things to make him tick, but he would never admit it.

It was strange for him to see Daryl so sure of himself. He was happy for his brother, he always worried about him, but knowing he had finally found happiness in some woman he didn't know was what made him bitter. His brother didn't need him anymore and it scared him. But again, he would never admit it.

Daryl watched his brother go with confliction. He knew Merle had done bad things, but he wasn't a bad person, not like the way the Governor was. There was room for redemption. But he knew his brother was stubborn and valued his pride more than anything. It wasn't likely he would sacrifice his precious ego to make things right.

He sighed heavily, running a hand over his tired face and started to make his way back to the cellblock. As soon as he entered, Beth rushed towards him, cradling Judith in her arms.

"Andrea's back, she came with a man from Woodbury."

Daryl went rigid and without needing another word from Beth, he was racing out of the prison. He held his crossbow up the second he got outside and his blood boiled when he saw Rhiannon talking to Andrea and one of the men he'd seen in Woodbury who just watched as the Governor threatened him and his brother while holding Rhiannon as a prize.

Even though Glenn and Maggie were with her it didn't make him feel any better about Rhiannon being near that guy. He jogged over, keeping his surly glare on the unknown man.

"What's goin' on?"

"The Governor wants to meet with Rick." Glenn answered, his body slightly shielding Maggie as his eyes stayed firmly locked on the man from Woodbury, just like Daryl.

"How can we be sure this isn't a setup?" Rhiannon interjected, staring down Andrea fiercely.

Andrea's eyes softened and she looked at the members of her former group sadly. "I'd never do that. You guys know me. I just want this useless feud over with."

"If this is a trap, if that son of a bitch pulls anything, I'm puttin' him down then and there. He's lucky he ain't dead already after what he did." Daryl growled, taking a threatening step towards Andrea and the Woodbury man.

Rhiannon watched him carefully, her heart fluttering in her chest wildly. His fierce protectiveness was like the two sides of a coin, sometimes it annoyed her to no end, but the rest of the time it made her legs quiver with desire.

"Please, just tell Rick. We can work this out." Andrea pleaded. When no one answered, it was clear they had said all they needed to say. Giving a look to Martinez, who was tense under the watchful eyes on him, they both nodded, making their exit quickly.

"Think this is legit?" Maggie asked after they had left.

"Andrea may have questionable judgment, but she's not malicious. I think she really believes the Governor's willing to talk." Rhiannon answered, keeping her arms crossed over her chest.

"She could be wrong though."

"Yeah, she could be." Rhiannon said slowly, knowing it was more than likely that Andrea's hope was just a pipe dream. She looked up, noticing Daryl staring at her intently. She shifted under his gaze and turned on her heel, making her way back to the catwalk to take watch.

She had only been alone in silence for a couple of minutes when Daryl appeared around the corner, looking shy and sheepish.

"Hey." She smiled softly, hating the awkwardness between them. "You calmed down yet?"

Daryl looked down at his shoes and nodded. "A little. Still pissed at that asshole. Wanna kill him for what he did to you."

"Me too."

"What happened with you and Merle?"

"Nothing really. He was just talking shit." She mumbled, keeping her eyes forward. "I'm guessing that's not really out of the ordinary."

Daryl snorted. "Nah, not really."

The two of them were left in silence and they both were hating that, for once, it wasn't all that comfortable.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Didn't mean to take that out on you." He said quietly, his fingers fidgeting with anxiety.

Rhiannon let out a deep breath, nodding in understanding. "I know. I think we need to talk about everything that's happened."

Daryl winced slightly. "Don't wanna fight."

"If that's what it takes to finally get through this, then let's fight." She said confidently, though her heart was beating rapidly. "I can't stand you being here and us not being what we are. So let's fight."

Daryl took in a deep breath and clenched his fists to keep them from shaking slightly. He felt on the verge of panicking, he didn't think he liked where this was going.

"I don't think we're on the same page right now." Rhiannon started, swallowing thickly. She felt scared with how forward she was about to be, something that normally wouldn't be out of her comfort zone. But this wasn't exactly a normal fight a couple would have, the circumstances were different than anything she'd been through with any other boyfriend before.

Daryl nodded thoughtfully and bit at his lip nervously. He was just as scared as she was.

"Look, what you were freaking out about last night, that's not what I'm mad about. You didn't know what the Governor did to me, and that's my fault for not telling you. I know I need to work on that."

Daryl looked up at her in surprise, not expecting her to say what she had. Rhiannon saw the look on his face and smiled slightly.

"You don't need to feel guilty about that. You didn't know."

"I knew he did somethin'. I saw he pulled your piercing out, saw you bleedin', should've known it was worse." He mumbled and Rhiannon knew he was unconvinced by her declaration, he would be guilty no matter what she said.

"You know, when I was with Alex, I felt like everything he did was to put me down." She started, her voice barely above a whisper.

Daryl's eyes widened and he couldn't help the surge of anger that overcame him at the thought of her ex.

"Everytime he yelled at me, every fight we had, it was always to make me feel bad about myself. But with you, it's so different. I know you would never do anything to purposefully hurt me."

Rhiannon didn't know if it was a good thing or not that Daryl was staying silent. His eyes spoke volumes, there was so much emotion swirling in those deep blue eyes and it made her heart jump. She could tell it hurt him deeply to hear about what she had been through with her ex, and in a way it made her love him even more.

"I know he's your brother and I know you're not the kind of man who could leave your family, but it hurt me that you could leave for someone I've only ever heard you complain about."

Daryl looked down, he couldn't handle looking her in the eye as she spoke about what he'd done to hurt her.

"You'd do the same for Maggie and Beth." He said quietly.

"I would, but Maggie and Beth didn't treat me like shit all my life." Rhiannon told him, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "You told me you didn't need to go looking for him, that you didn't like the person you were when you were with him. You went back on your word so quickly and that scares me."

She pursed her lips together, feeling her emotions bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Her eyes stung and she almost hated the way Daryl's eyes softened when he noticed.

"God, Daryl, you left me for a man that was horrible to you. All he ever did was bring you down and make you feel worthless, you told me that yourself, and you chose that over me." She said, sounding frantic as her anger was brought to the surface.

Daryl rubbed at his temple and sighed, his breath wavering as he tried to keep his anger and his sadness under control.

He didn't know what to say, her words left him fully realizing just how much he fucked up. He had told her he didn't need to go looking for Merle, had told her she was all he needed, and yet he left anyways.

The knowledge that he'd practically been lying to him each time was a hard pill to swallow for the both of them.

"I didn't wanna leave." He spoke softly. "It killed me to walk away from you. But everyone was yellin', sayin' it wouldn't work, and I got so worked up, I didn't know what to do."

Rhiannon nodded in understanding. "I know it was hard for you, but that doesn't make it hurt any less." She sniffled and Daryl could've sworn he felt his heart crack then and there. "Daryl, I can't go through that again. If you walk away from me again, that's it, I can't handle it."

Daryl swallowed thickly, worried the hold he had on his emotions would begin to slip. He moved closer to her, but still left about a foot of space between them. He hesitantly reached his hand out and Rhiannon felt her heart melt at how tentative he was being. It was like going back in time and being on the farm again.

She looked over at him with watery eyes and reached out, intertwining her fingers with his. He immediately squeezed tightly, like he was so relieved to finally be touching her again.

"I'm sorry." Daryl whispered, his voice gruff and raspy with everything he was holding back.

"What if Merle wants to leave?" She asked quietly, almost not wanting to know the answer.

"Then he leaves. He knows what I got here and he knows there's no way in hell I'm leavin' you again. Can't handle it either."

Rhiannon looked up at him and Daryl, like always, was struck by her brown eyes and was left breathless.

"You scared me. Didn't know if I would ever see you again."

"I'm sorry." Daryl whispered again. "Never meant to hurt you. I thought Merle could be different. I knew after five minutes he was just the same old asshole. Knew I made a mistake."

Rhiannon felt bad for piling onto his guilt. She knew he was already feeling bad and she didn't want to make it worse, she just wanted to come clean about what she was feeling. She felt bad knowing he had hope for his brother, but was ultimately let down again.

"I never wanted it to get to this point, where you had to chose. I think I always knew deep down you would chose your brother. I just didn't think it would hurt this much."

Daryl frowned and squeezed her hand in his tighter. He looked over at her and swallowed thickly. She could see how nervous he was and it put her equally on edge. "Rhiannon, I love you." He breathed out, like saying the words alone brought him relief.

For a long time, admitting how he felt about her had been intimidating, something that scared him. He felt as though he had grown since his time apart from her, he no longer feared the intense way he loved her. I just felt so right, it was comforting now to know he loved her so deeply.

"I didn't…" He sighed and bowed his head. "I ain't any good at this. Never thought I'd have somethin' like this in my life. Never would'a believed I could find you and I was a fuckin' idiot to ever think I could live without you."

Rhiannon bit her lip and stared at him with wide eyes. She'd never heard him so outspoken, especially about his feelings for her. It left her stunned to silence.

Daryl kept his eyes down and the guilt on his face was clear as day. "I know it ain't gonna change what I did. An' I'm so fuckin' sorry, never wanted to hurt you." He swallowed thickly and squeezed her hand again. "I'll give you as much time as you need." He muttered and without another word, he let go of her hand and stood, leaving Rhiannon sitting alone in shock.

She held her breath as she watched him leave, as if hoping he would turn and come back to her.

 _He thinks you hate him,_ she told herself degradingly.

She knew he was feeling guilty and her piling onto it wasn't doing anyone any good. She didn't feel any better after explaining why she was upset. She knew Daryl felt bad and she didn't know what talking about it anymore would do.

She was just hoping things would get better if everything was out in the open. She didn't know how they were going to do that if Daryl was drowning in guilt.

* * *

It wasn't until it had gone dark, hours after Rick, Carl, and Michonne had returned, that Rhiannon was finally getting off watch. She'd refused everyone that had tried to take over for her, telling them she was fine where she was. In all honesty, she just didn't have the courage to go back and face Daryl, not without knowing what she could say to him to finally get them out of the rut they seemed to be in.

As soon as she stepped back into the cellblock, her father sent her a relieved smile, earning him a weak one back.

Rhiannon went to wash her empty bowl that Maggie had made sure to give to her as she'd missed dinner by staying outside on watch. She could feel eyes on her and she turned her head slightly, raising a brow at Beth who watched her carefully.

"What's up, Bethie?"

"I know why you're being hesitant - and I'm only sticking my nose in this because I care about you - but do you really think this is a good idea? I think it's just doing more harm than good." Beth told her, sounding slightly nervous.

"Yeah, I think so too." Rhiannon said quietly, looking down at her hands shyly. She smiled slightly and looked up at her little sister. "When did you get so wise?"

"I've learned a lot watching you screw up." Beth answered smugly, giving her a sarcastic smile.

"Watch it." Rhiannon smirked, nudging her lightly. She moved forward and placed a kiss on Beth's forehead. Her little sister was right, she loved Daryl and it wasn't doing them any good being apart. "Thank you." She whispered, giving her a tight hug.

She gave her father a quick hug before he went off to bed, and gave Carl a wave goodnight. She noticed Daryl talking to Rick and she shifted on her feet nervously, waiting for a window of opportunity to go talk to him.

Rick looked up and noticed her standing by. He gave Daryl a pat on the shoulder and said goodnight, sending Rhiannon a knowing smile as he walked by.

She blushed and ducked her head, internally cursing herself for being so transparent. At least Daryl was alone now. She wanted to tell him it was ok, that her heart finally felt whole with him here again, and that was all that mattered.

She could forget about how hurt she'd been because he was here now.

He looked up and his eyes immediately met hers. His heart began to beat faster as she approached.

Rhiannon had a million things she wanted to say, but when she looked up at his blue eyes, there were no words in her mind. She panicked suddenly, realizing he was looking at her patiently, waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say.

"Goodnight." She said quietly, and before she could overthink it or stop herself, she leaned up on her toes and pressed a quick, feather light kiss to his lips.

Daryl felt his heart stutter and he looked at her with wide, stunned eyes. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. He cleared his throat and felt his cheeks flame red. "Night." He mumbled and looked down bashfully as he made his way up to the cell they used to share.

Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise and she couldn't help but feel amused by how absolutely _clueless_ Daryl could be.

 _Was the kiss not a big enough hint for him?_

She watched him walk away with a coy smile and shook her head. She'd have to try harder to get his attention.

She walked into her cell and flopped onto her bed with a heavy sigh. The poor man still didn't have much of an idea what to do in a relationship, but that was part of his charm and she loved him for it.

She reached for her book and opened it, knowing her mind would be way too active for her to sleep at the moment.

* * *

Daryl jerked awake, panting heavily. He sat up in his bunk and placed a hand over his racing heart.

He felt a dampness on his cheeks and he wiped the tears that had fallen away, looking down at his hand that glistened with shock, like he couldn't believe that he really had been crying.

That dream had shaken him. It felt so real it had scared him.

He had been calling out to her, but she ignored him and kept walking away, yelling over her shoulder to him to leave. That alone hurt him, but it was the sound of a gunshot and the sight of her falling to the ground that had made him want to scream until he couldn't breathe.

He needed to see her, he needed to reassure himself that she was ok and that it really had just been a dream or else he worried he'd drop dead from how fast his heart was pounding.

As quietly as he could - the last thing he wanted was for someone to wake up and see him in this distressed state - he made his way down the stairs. His hands twitched with anticipation when he saw a dim light through the thin sheet Rhiannon placed in the doorway of her cell.

He whispered her name, but when he got no answer, he pushed the sheet to the side and stepped in.

The second he saw her, his whole body relaxed. He let out a shuddering breath of relief and without even realizing he had moved, he was kneeling beside her.

The sight of her sleeping peacefully with a book splayed out on her chest, made his pounding heart calm.

His eyes moved to her side where he knew she had been shot and he had to force himself to keep from reaching out to touch her. It physically hurt him knowing she had been hurt. He wanted to storm into Woodbury and gun down every single man that had tried to harm her.

He smiled softly at the sight of her, focusing on the image of her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath to calm him down.

He moved slowly, taking the book that lay on her chest and placed it on the floor. He blew out of the candle beside her and as it went dark, he heard her moan slightly.

He tensed and looked over at her with startled eyes. Through the dim moonlight that streamed through, he saw her brown eyes flutter open. She looked confused for a second, but as soon as she saw him, she frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, her voice still thick with sleep. Even in the dark, she could see his glassy eyes, she could tell he was distressed about something.

Daryl shook his head, his eyes casting down to avoid hers. He felt embarrassed that she caught him, he was sure he looked like a creep snooping in her cell while she was sleeping.

"Daryl?" She urged, sensing his discomfort. She sat up slowly, making sure not to irritate her wound, and moved to the edge of the bed, reaching out to him.

His breathing hitched when her hand touched the side of his face and he finally brought his gaze up to meet hers. "Wanted to make sure you were ok."

"Why wouldn't I be ok?"

"Had a dream." He mumbled, almost inaudibly. Rhiannon's stomach twisted, she knew firsthand just how terrifying the unconscious mind could be. His hands fidgeted nervously and he suddenly stood, looking uncomfortable. "I should go."

"No." She called out, stopping him from moving. He looked at her incredulously and he realized his heart was back to pounding in that panicked rhythm. "You can stay. I was kinda hoping I'd be back in my cell with you tonight." She admitted shyly.

When she saw the look of utter confusion on his face, she laughed softly and grabbed his hand to pull him back and sit next to her.

"Why do you think I kissed you?"

Daryl's furrowed brow suddenly smoothed out and his face dropped in realization. "You… you forgive me?" He asked, sounding absolutely shocked.

Rhiannon smiled sadly and nodded. "I never blamed you for what happened. I know you never wanted to hurt me." She paused, swallowing thickly. "There's no point in me dwelling on being upset when you're here. You came back to me and that's all that matters."

Daryl still looked confused. The way he stared at her like he felt he was being tricked made her laugh. She leaned her forehead against his and moved her hands to the back of his neck.

"You're all I want, Daryl Dixon. We both made mistakes and I'm not gonna let that keep us apart."

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into her, his ams moving to wrap around her waist. The amount of stress that melted in that instant was almost euphoric. "Thank you." He whispered and Rhiannon shook her head.

"You don't need to thank me for anything."

Daryl pulled away slightly, just enough to look her in the eye. Rhiannon could see the hunger in his gaze, but also the underlying hesitance that stopped him from making the next move. He was still a little unsure of himself.

Rhiannon smiled and, like it was their first kiss, she took the initiative and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his softly.

He kissed her back eagerly, his hands gripping her tighter and pulling her in closer. His hands roamed her body, like he needed to re familiarize himself with her skin and the parts of her that made her sigh, that made her giggle, and made her grip him tighter.

As their kisses grew more frenzied, their breathing was getting heavier, Daryl pulled away, realizing he was getting to the point of no return.

Rhiannon looked at him curiously and when she saw how he was holding back, she moved her hands under his shirt, her fingers trailing over his hard abs. Daryl's shoulders went rigid at the feeling of her hands on his bare skin and he closed his eyes.

"Rhiannon." He said in warning. "Don't wanna hurt you."

She had been shot just days ago and the last thing he wanted was to lose control and hurt her, especially after the fight they'd just gotten over.

"You won't." She assured him and before he could say anything else, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

Daryl swallowed nervously, his wide eyes taking in every exposed inch of her. He let out a shaking breath and he had to remind himself to relax. They'd done this before, he had made love to her to the point where they were both stunned and shaking. It was nothing new, so why was he so nervous now?

His dream lingered in the back of his mind and the thought of everything she'd been through in the past week made him feel dizzy with rage and guilt. That wasn't something he could just shake off whether she forgave him or not.

Rhiannon could feel him trembling under her hands and she frowned, he wasn't acting like himself. He'd gotten to the point where he could be so free with her, not caring about any insecurities he may have had in the past. He could laugh and joke with her, but now, it was like he'd taken ten steps backwards.

"Daryl, it's just me. We're fine. _I'm_ fine."

"Don't wanna mess this up." He mumbled and Rhiannon laughed slightly, making him look up at her.

"You've made it pretty clear you know what you're doing." She joked and he let out a breathless laugh, leaning his forehead against her shoulder.

"Not like that." He said lamely. He looked up at her and the intensity in his eyes made her stomach swirl with desire. "Can't lose you. Ever."

"I'm not going anywhere." She told him sincerely, her hands reaching up to cradle his face.

"I ain't either."

At his declaration and the way he stared back at her, Rhiannon felt herself blush. She quickly captured his lips with hers and kissed him fiercely

He deepened the kiss instantly and her hands quickly worked at the buttons of his shirt. He shrugged it off and moved forward, following her as she lay back on the bed. "Fucking beautiful." He mumbled as he kissed the tattoo below her breasts.

Rhiannon smiled and threaded her fingers through his hair. She noticed how slowly he moved, how careful he was as he pulled her thin sleeping shorts off her, like he was worrying about hurting her with the simplest touch.

"Daryl, touch me, please." She breathed out, running her hands up his muscular arms. His grip tightened in response and he leaned down, pulling at her nipple piercing with his teeth.

She let out a light gasp and arched her back. Daryl closed his eyes, he missed the sounds she made, he missed the way it felt to touch her like this. It had only been barely over a week since they had last been together this way, but it felt like ages and he was desperate for more.

Rhiannon squirmed under him as he pressed sloppy kisses to every inch of her skin. She was beginning to get impatient.

"Daryl, I need you."

He groaned at her words and was quick to rid himself of the rest of his clothes before moving to hover over her again. He breathed heavily, his heart beating rapidly as he stared down at her. Her short hair was splayed out on the pillow, her lips were slightly swollen from his greedy mouth and when her brown eyes met his, he swore he stopped breathing altogether.

He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, holding it against the bed next to her head. With her other hand, she gently trailed her fingers up his back, moving over the rough edges of his scars.

He shuddered slightly at the feeling, still not used to being touched in that previously forbidden place. He leaned down, making sure to keep himself propped up on his elbow so he didn't crush her small frame with his weight, and kissed her deeply.

They both moaned as he slid into her slowly. Rhiannon tightened her grip on him, her nails digging into his back as he moved deeper. Daryl watched her carefully, looking for any signs of discomfort on her face. If she winced even once, he was stopping.

Her breaths stuttered as he pulled out slowly and pushed forward again. She moved her legs to circle his waist, making him able to go even deeper. Daryl almost fell forward on top of her at the feeling and he grit his teeth, having to force himself not to cry out.

"Uhh, fuck. I missed you." He moaned softly, thrusting harder, unable to keep this brain melting slow pace.

Rhiannon's chest heaved with each breath and she bit her lip to keep her low moans quiet. She wished they were back in the guard tower where she didn't have to stifle her noises. She wished she could hear just how good she was making him feel. She loved hearing his rough grunts and moans.

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, a louder than was wise groan escaping him as Rhiannon moved her hips against his. His hand that was holding himself up moved to her hair and gripped tightly. He decided then that her short hair was just as desirable as her long hair.

Rhiannon smiled as he pulled at her hair, strangely that was becoming comforting to her, like they were finally back to their normal ways.

Daryl noticed her smile and smirked, letting out a breathless laugh. "Can't fuckin' help it." He grunted, pulling at her locks again, earning a moan from Rhiannon. Her legs tightened around his waist, causing him to move faster.

"Oh god, Daryl." She rushed out and immediately closed her mouth, biting at her lip, realizing she had probably been a little too loud.

He leaned down, his lips latching onto her neck, hoping that could stifle all the sounds he wanted to let out. Rhiannon dragged her nails over his skin, her other hand sliding into his hair, she knew he liked it, not as much as he liked pulling hers though.

Her lips parted with a long moan as his hips moved erratically, she knew he wasn't going to last much longer, they were both so on edge from the fight, it wasn't surprising. She bit at his ear, making him moan sharply and move his head to press a hard kiss to her lips.

They kissed passionately and hungrily until they ran out of breath and he had to pull away. He leaned his forehead against hers and panted heavily.

She watched him, her eyes blazing with desire. His hips jerked against hers when she tightened herself around him and a low groan of her name escaped him. His eyes were squeezed shut and his jaw was slack with each low moan that left him.

"Daryl, look at me." She pleaded desperately, her hands moving to grip onto his strong shoulders.

Daryl forced his eyes open and the way she looked at him made him feel weak in the knees. He had never felt so wanted and so loved in his life before.

"Don't leave me." She whispered, the soft look in her eyes making his chest tighten.

He thrusted deeper, reveling in the pride that flowed through him as her lips parted with a silent moan and she threw her head back against the pillow. "Never. Never again." He told her breathlessly, squeezing her hand that held his.

Rhiannon's body locked, her back arching up off the bed as she felt herself beginning to reach her peak. With just a few more thrusts of his hips, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his to stifle a loud cry as she flew over the edge.

As she got impossibly tighter around him, Daryl went rigid, his hips moving without finesse as he got rougher in his final moments. He pulled away from her kiss and leaned down to latch his teeth onto her shoulder before he could yell out her name like he so desperately wanted as he climaxed just seconds after her.

He shuddered against her, white lights brilliantly flashing behind his closed eyes. Rhiannon held onto him tightly, like he was her lifeline. The small groans that left him as he released inside of her made her smile against him in satisfaction.

Daryl, without a thought of crushing her, laid himself down on top of her, his arm now too weak to keep himself up. Rhiannon didn't mind, she felt so safe and protected with him splayed out on her, his body pressed against hers with no room in between them.

They were both panting, their bodies still trembling as the last aftershocks raced through them. Rhiannon could feel her legs quivering, Daryl felt it too and moved his hand that was tangled in her hair to gently trail his fingers over her thigh that was still hooked over his waist.

It took a few minutes for him to finally regain feeling in his limbs and he could finally roll off her. Rhiannon scooted over so they could both fit on the small bunk and laid on her side to face him. Daryl placed his hand on the back of her neck to bring her forward and kissed her softly.

His gentle touches were so different to how frantic and desperate he'd been just minutes before. She loved that he could be both with her.

"Fuckin' love you, darlin'." He mumbled against her lips.

Rhiannon smiled and wrapped her arm around him. "Love you too." She whispered back.

"'M sorry for bein' a fuckin' idiot."

Rhiannon shook her head and smirked. "I'm pretty sure I just proved to you I'm not mad anymore."

Daryl smiled, his eyes studying her carefully. He ran his fingers up and down her arms, just needing to be touching her. He never wanted to stop.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her close to him. He finally felt like he was home.

* * *

 **Their reunion wasn't originally going to be in this chapter, but I just couldn't wait anymore, so enjoy!**

 **So overwhelmed by the love you guys are giving this story. Thank you all for reviewing! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!**

 **Thanks for reading xx**


	50. Chapter 50

Rick finished strapping his holster through the loop of his jeans and put his gun in its place. He looked back into the cell block for the fifth time in the last minute, hoping to see the familiar form of the hunter he was waiting on.

"You seen Daryl yet?" He asked Hershel who was ready and sat waiting to leave.

Hershel shook his head, a slight frown on his face. It wasn't like the hunter to be late.

Rick stepped into the cellblock purposefully and made his way up the stairs. He peeked into the cell he knew Daryl had been staying in but it was empty, though the bed looked slept in. In fact, the sheets were disheveled and falling off the edge of the bed, which wasn't like him at all. Daryl was usually very neat and tidy.

Rick was starting to get worried, while Daryl did keep to himself a lot of the time, this was out of character, he would never disappear when he was needed.

He walked back down the stairs slowly and his eyes, almost subconsciously, moved to Rhiannon's cell. He'd seen the way Rhiannon had looked at Daryl the night before, like she was dying to get to him, and it wouldn't be totally implausible that they'd made up.

Everyone had been bugging them both about it enough.

With a coy smirk on his face, Rick approached her cell and pulled back the sheet. He had to bite back a laugh at the sight in front of him. Daryl was always a pretty intimidating man and despite knowing him for some time now, Rick still got a little cautious around him when he was in one of his moods, but seeing him curled around the small woman that held his affection shattered the notion completely.

Rick cleared his throat and whispered his name, trying to wake him up in the most peaceful way, he didn't want to embarrass the poor man, or get yelled at.

"Daryl."

Daryl frowned and let out a low whine, tightening his grip on Rhiannon who was still fast asleep in his arms.

The sound of laughter made his eyes snap open because it sure as hell wasn't Rhiannon's laugh and that made terror clutch at his heart and he was suddenly fully alert.

He slowly rolled onto his back, his body uncomfortably tense. Through bleary eyes, he could make out Rick standing in the doorway of the cell, the amusement on his face making him blush even deeper. His eyes widened slightly and he immediately reached over to pull the blanket up higher to cover Rhiannon's bare back. She wasn't showing anything too scandalous, but Rick seeing her so exposed rubbed him the wrong way.

"What?" Daryl barked out, trying hard to hide how embarrassed he was.

"We're waiting on you."

"I'll be right there." He mumbled, hoping Rick could tell how uncomfortable he was and make a quick exit.

"Hey man, I'm happy for you." Rick smiled, his eyes drifting over to Rhiannon who he still had in his grip.

Daryl sent a glare to the leader, only making Rick all the more amused. "Don't push your luck, Grimes." He growled.

Rick snorted and finally left, leaving Daryl to flop back on the bed with a heavy sigh. He felt his cheeks burning at being caught literally with no pants on. He looked over at Rhiannon and smiled lightly despite the intense embarrassment he felt.

While he was overjoyed about last night, he couldn't help but feel nervous that she'd regret it or feel like they'd moved too fast. He would understand if she needed more time to get over how he hurt her, no matter how much it would destroy him not to have her with him.

She said she forgave him, but he couldn't help but still feel anxious about the whole thing.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his arms moving to find their way around her waist again.

She stirred, making a soft sound of protest as he broke her from her sleep. His heart swelled, suddenly realizing just how much he'd missed the little things she did that made him dizzy with happiness. Those memories were the ones he clung to in their week apart. They were the only things that kept him sane.

Just the solace of laying next to her was incomparable to anything else he'd ever had in his life.

"Gotta leave soon, darlin'." He said softly, the feel of his scruff against her soft skin making a shiver run down her spine.

Rhiannon sighed heavily and rolled over to face him, her smile growing when she saw him looking down at her with an expression that was so peaceful, it almost hurt that she didn't get to see it too often.

"Do you have to go?" She mumbled tiredly, nuzzling in closer to him.

Daryl nodded and held her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Gotta sort this out. That bastard needs to be taken care of."

Rhiannon frowned and looked up at him, now feeling more awake at the prospect of Daryl walking into danger. "Don't do anything stupid. You're just there to talk."

Daryl stayed silent, thinking over her words carefully. He knew he couldn't just shoot the Governor the second he saw him, no matter how much he wanted to. He knew he had to try hard to keep his cool out there. "I'll be fine."

"Watch out for my dad. Can't believe he's going with you guys." She added quickly, clearly still having trouble accepting that Rick was letting him go.

"Your dad's tough, he can handle it out there."

"He has one foot." Rhiannon stressed, looking up at him unamused. "I don't even know why you're bothering with this. The Governor's not gonna give in, it's not in his nature."

Daryl sighed, he'd been thinking the same thing, but he refused to voice it out loud, worrying that admitting it would make it real. Despite how implausible it may seem, Daryl wasn't going to give up an opportunity, if a truce is what kept her safe, he was going to try it.

"It's worth a shot."

"Is it?" She asked, sitting up so she was eye level with him. "I don't want him near you."

"Don't want him near _you,_ 's why I gotta go."

Daryl's words made that same feeling of safety he'd always given her swell into a haze of happiness. She was so thankful they made up, she couldn't imagine going through all this shit without him by her side.

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, her hand holding his cheek in an affectionate gesture that he loved, it always made him feel cared for, something she never failed to make him feel.

Daryl kissed her back passionately, his hand moving to hold onto her waist tightly. He was suddenly aware that they were both still bare from the night before and he felt arousal cloud over him. He growled against her lips and pulled at her hips so she straddled him.

Rhiannon smiled at the way he touched her so desperately and pulled away, raising her brows in surprise. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, not pleased with her teasing smirk and starting placing sloppy kisses to her neck.

Rhiannon's eyes closed as he found her sweet spot he knew so well and she ran her hands through his hair.

"Daryl," She mumbled when he continued to ravage her, clearly expecting it to go further. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" She reminded him, her voice laced with amusement.

The man groaned in annoyance and leaned his forehead against her shoulder. He just got her back, the last thing he wanted was to leave. And the thought of her at the prison without him to intervene if Merle caused trouble, which he definitely would, made his stomach twist with nerves.

Rhiannon saw the distaste in his expression and gave him a small smile. She moved off of him and reached for her clothes that littered the floor. She winced slightly as moved, feeling a pull in her side. She pressed her hand to the bandage on her ribs, hoping it would relieve the ache.

Daryl's face fell when he noticed the strained look on her face. He knew he had been too rough last night. He was kicking himself for not having any self control, he should've waited until she was better.

Rhiannon could feel the sudden tension in the room that surrounded them. She turned and saw Daryl's gaze locked onto the bandage she wore.

"Don't do that." She told him forwardly and he averted his gaze, refusing to look at her.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"I'm not. Last night was amazing, trust me, the ache is worth it."

Daryl blushed and his wide eyes met hers, but there was a pleading look in his expression that let her know her words had gotten to him the way she wanted. He sighed deeply and fell back onto the bed.

"Didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't. Daryl, honestly, it's not a big deal."

The sincerity in her voice had him relaxing and he turned on his side to face her, his eyes studying her carefully. She could tell he was deep in thought and she worried when he was lost in his own head.

"You need anything?" He asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine." She told him and turned her attention back to getting dressed. Daryl stayed quiet and focused on her, looking for any more signs that she was in pain, but was pleasantly relieved when he saw none on her face.

"They're waiting for you." She reminded him gently, looking back at him and blushing when she noticed his eyes glued to her bare skin, like he was lost in a trance as he watched her move.

As she finished dressing herself, Daryl reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers before she could move to stand. She looked over at him curiously, noticing how nervous he suddenly looked.

"Did you mean it last night?" He asked softly, still worrying that she thought they'd moved too fast.

Rhiannon didn't waste any time in throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her. "Daryl, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. What happened is in the past and you and I both know the past doesn't matter."

Daryl caught onto the underlying meaning of her words. While she meant that him walking away from her was in the past, he couldn't help but think back to the moment they'd come clean about their past for the first time. Her scars and his scars didn't change how they felt, something they had to remind each other when the secrets first came out, and it made Daryl love her even more for how understanding she could be.

He smiled lightly, the sight making her heart flutter wildly and he leaned into her, reveling in the feeling of having her close, something he'd missed while he was away from her.

Rhiannon watched him fondly as he reluctantly pulled away from her and began to get his clothes on. She knew he was annoyed that he had to be leaving, but the world didn't stop just because they wanted time together, they needed to get this Woodbury situation dealt with.

Once he was done getting dressed and he had his crossbow hung over his shoulder, he turned to her, almost shyly, as he pondered what to say to her. What was there to say to the woman he loved before he went off to face the man that tormented her?

Rhiannon saw his apprehension and stepped toward him, slowly snaking her arms around his waist.

"Come back to me." She said softly, resting her head against her chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heart beat.

"I will, you know I always will, darlin'."

"Good, we have to make up for lost time." She smirked when she felt his chest shake with silent laughter. She looked up at him and felt satisfied when she saw the blush on his cheeks.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his hand moving to graze against her cheek and he kissed her softly. Rhiannon closed her eyes blissfully, wishing they could spend all day doing this.

"Daryl, let's go!" Rick yelled, causing the couple to break apart.

Daryl looked out his cell with a scowl, but the sound of Rhiannon's laugh had it disappearing in an instant.

"Go, he's embarrassed you enough today." She told him, lightly pushing him forward.

She followed him out of the cellblock and immediately moved to her father, still riddled with anxiety at his decision to go.

Hershel sighed at the look on his daughter's face and pulled her into a hug as soon as she was close.

"Do you really have to do this?"

"I do." Was all Hershel said, it was enough of an argument to let Rhiannon know there would be no changing his mind. She wanted to call him stubborn but she knew she'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world if she did. She just had to let him go.

"Just...don't-"

"I'll be fine, baby girl." Hershel reassured her, looking down at her lovingly, his heart swelling at her concern for him. It was a stark contrast to her relationship with him just over a year ago.

She watched anxiously as he grabbed his crutches and moved to leave with Rick. She moved her gaze to Daryl who was speaking with Merle. He didn't look happy, it was as if all the peacefulness he'd gotten this morning with her was gone the second his brother opened his foul mouth.

She frowned when she saw him stomp away from him, his face darkened with anger. She moved towards him and reached for his hand before he could leave the prison to follow Rick and Hershel outside.

"Hey, you ok?"

Daryl turned to face her but his eyes didn't quite reach hers. He didn't want to tell her all the lewd comments his brother had made about her and the fact that he'd stayed in her cell the night before.

"Merle's just bein' an asshole." He growled. Rhiannon sighed, noticing how he seemed to distance himself from her by not even looking at her.

"Don't let him get to you. He knows he's not on top here, he's just being rude to get a reaction from everyone."

Daryl squeezed her hand and brought her closer to him, his intense gaze finally meeting hers. "Keep your distance, ok?"

"He's not gonna hurt me." Rhiannon argued. She knew Merle was an asshole, but he was different from the kind of sadistic man the Governor was.

"Not physically. Just don't want him talkin' shit about you."

Rhiannon smiled lightly and brushed her thumb over his knuckle. "I can handle him."

That caused Daryl's scowl to disappear and his face lightened up just the slightest. "Don't break his nose again."

"No promises."

Daryl laughed, the sound sending a pleasurable jolt through her. He leaned down and kissed her chastely. "Just watch yourself, ok?"

Rhiannon nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him, their hands dropping to their sides. "You too."

Daryl nodded and looked down at her, reluctant to leave. He suddenly remembered something he'd wanted to tell her. "No goin' through the tombs by yourself either."

Rhiannon's lips parted but she didn't have a rebuttal for him. She was wondering when he was going to berate her for her stupid decision to go through the prison by herself yesterday.

Daryl smirked at the surprised look on her face. "Yeah, don't think I forgot 'bout that." He told her sternly. "Be good."

Rhiannon looked up at him with a playful glare at his words, but she suddenly smiled in that teasing way that drove him wild. "Or what, you'll punish me?"

Daryl's eyes darkened with lust and he groaned slightly, now even more annoyed that he had to leave. "Don't do that shit now." He warned, making her laugh and despite the frustration he felt, he smiled at the sound.

Rhiannon's smile fell slightly, realizing she couldn't stall him any longer and he absolutely had to go.

He gave her one last look of longing and with a sigh, he turned on his heel and walked out of the prison where Rick and Hershel were waiting for him yet again.

He kept his head down as he approached them, he knew they'd seen how he and Rhiannon acted this morning, it was obvious that things were different between them now compared to how they were last night, and not to mention, Rick had caught them in bed together.

Hershel smiled at the man and clapped his hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you two sorted things."

Daryl tried hard not to blush. He nodded and Hershel had to stifle a laugh at how bashful the usually brash man was being.

"Let's get goin'." Rick said, sparing Daryl from any more embarrassment.

Daryl was more than thankful for the distraction from his love life and quickly moved to his motorcycle. He was tense as he guided his bike out through the walker filled field and away from the prison. He usually felt at home and relaxed when he was on the bike, but this time it was the last place he wanted to be.

It didn't feel right leaving her again, no matter the circumstances.

* * *

Michonne kept her distance from the others. She watched as they moved as a team, handing out weapons and ammo as they talked quietly amongst themselves. She felt a pang in her chest, they were clearly a close group of people and she had never felt like such an outsider before.

She hated that she was in the same category as Merle Dixon, the ones who didn't belong.

"Hey, you good?"

Michonne flinched slightly, surprised that she'd been caught off guard, and turned to face Rhiannon who looked at her curiously.

"Yeah, fine." She shrugged.

"How'd the run go yesterday? I hope Carl wasn't too hard on you."

That got the quiet woman to smile, showing Rhiannon more emotion than she had the whole time she'd been at the prison.

"He was fine." Michonne said with a slight laugh. "He said he was putting up with me cause you told him to."

Rhiannon snorted, didn't sound like Carl was the nicest to her, but he was getting to the teenager phase of his life and Rhiannon knew better than anyone just how rude you could be in that moment.

Michonne smiled with her but her face suddenly turned down, all trace of amusement gone. "We ran into one of Rick's old friends, Morgan."

"Whoa." Rhiannon muttered, her eyes going wide. Rick had told her about the man from King County, the first person he'd run into when he woke from his coma. She was starting to feel bad that she'd been so disconnected the night before and hadn't gone to him to see how the run had gone. He didn't exactly have time this morning to talk about it.

Michonne looked at the woman beside her thoughtfully, well aware that she was the one who had tried the most out of the rest of the group to make her feel welcome. She was the one that would talk to her for no reason despite the obvious trauma she'd been going through and despite the awkwardness that still lingered between the two of them who were still practically strangers, Michonne appreciates the effort she put in.

It was clear to her that Rhiannon had a big heart, something Michonne wasn't used to being around.

"So, everything better with your man?"

Rhiannon looked over at Michonne in confusion, taken aback by her bluntness. The woman suddenly smirked and Rhiannon smiled lightly, shaking her head. "We're that obvious, huh?"

"Oh yeah." Beth answered for Michonne, having heard the whole conversation.

Rhiannon turned and scowled at her baby sister but she just smiled, her innocent image made even more apparent by the baby she held in her arms. "Just stating the obvious." Beth shrugged.

"You didn't...hear us...did you?" Rhiannon asked awkwardly. She had tried her hardest to stay quiet, but she knew there were moments where that had been the last thing on her mind.

Beth laughed loudly and even Michonne couldn't keep a straight face. Rhiannon blushed and looked at the both of them impatiently.

"We didn't hear anything. Daryl coming out of your cell this morning was enough evidence." Beth explained smugly and Rhiannon sighed in relief. "That doesn't mean I've _never_ heard you two. Those storage units had thin walls."

Rhiannon's eyes widened in horror and she looked at her baby sister, the one she thought she'd been safe from teasing, in shock.

"Ok, I'm done with this conversation." Rhiannon said, quickly walking away from the two woman who laughed at her expense.

She was thankful that Glenn had unknowingly saved her from embarrassment as he started giving out orders to everyone.

"We'll make sure every watch point has a cache of guns. Beth, put more up on the catwalk. If anyone gets pinned down we need to make sure they have plenty of ammo."

Rhiannon nodded to Glenn and started fiddling with a rifle, adding ammo from the box in front of her.

"What we should be doing is loading some of this firepower in a truck and paying a visit to the Governor. We know where he is right now." Merle spoke up, his voice echoing throughout the room.

Rhiannon stopped her motions and looked up, sharing a look of impatience with Glenn who looked more pissed off than she'd seen him in a long time. She turned her head to look at Merle with a raised brow.

"You suggesting that we just go in and kill him?"

"Yeah, I am." Merle stated with finality, like it was an easy decision.

"We told Rick and Daryl that we'd stay put." Michonne interjected, giving Rhiannon another reason to trust her. Anyone that could stand up to Merle Dixon the way she had immediately had Rhiannon's respect.

"I've changed my mind, sweetheart." Merle told her and Michonne sneered at the pet name. "Bein' on the sideline with my brother out there ain't sittin' right with me. You honestly gonna tell me you're ok with your sleeping buddy puttin' his life at risk for you?" He asked, now looking directly at Rhiannon.

"I don't like it either, but this is the safest option. If we go in, guns blazing, people get caught in the crossfire. A million things could go wrong and I'm not gonna risk their lives because I was too emotional and didn't think it through." She told him sternly, ignoring the backhanded implication that Daryl was just her 'sleeping buddy' and nothing more.

Merle's face hardened at the insinuation that he wasn't thinking clearly and shook his head, silently disagreeing with her.

"You think they're gonna be able to handle it if things go wrong?" He countered.

"My dad can take care of himself." Carl told him, his voice filled with attitude that made Rhiannon proud.

"Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon."

Rhiannon grit her teeth and sent Merle the dirtiest look she could muster. She had a million insults and curse words tumbling around her head that she was ready to throw at him, but when she saw Carl stomp out of the prison with his head hung low, she pushed her anger to the side. Carl was more important to her than kicking Merle's ass.

"You're a fucking idiot." Rhiannon told the man as she passed to follow Carl out.

When she finally caught up to him, he was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, focusing intently on loading the gun he was holding. He didn't even look up at her as she approached.

"Hey, Bud. You doing ok?" She asked tentatively as she took a seat next to him.

"Fine." He answered, clearly disinterested in talking about his feelings.

"Merle's an asshole. I know you're smart enough to realize that nothing he says matters."

Carl stayed quiet and he stopped what he was doing, his eyes subtly shifting to look over at her.

Rhiannon frowned, she hated the animosity she could see on his face. This wasn't the same sweet little kid she'd met on the farm, he was hardened and bitter the way most adults were.

"Your dad's a good leader, he can handle this." She assured him.

"Can he? You saw him scare those people away, you know things aren't the same as they were. He's different."

"He's grieving." Rhiannon corrected him.

"So am I, but you don't see me going crazy and threatening people with guns." Carl snapped at her, making her eyes go wide.

"Carl, that's not fair. No one's ignoring what you've been through, you're just handling this a lot better than anyone expected and unfortunately your dad isn't, but that doesn't mean he's never gonna get better. We just have to wait it out."

"And the Governor, are we just supposed to wait him out? Maybe Merle's right, we can end this right now."

"Watch your mouth, kid. You start agreeing with Merle Dixon, we're gonna have a problem."

Carl cracked a smile when he caught onto her joking tone and he rolled his eyes, nudging her lightly with his elbow.

"You're smart, you know this is more complicated than just marching into a fight and ending it with one bullet."

"I know, I just want this to be over. He doesn't deserve to live after what he did."

Rhiannon was struck by the intensity in Carl's voice and the darkness in his expression. It was almost unsettling to see. She bit at her lip in contemplation, wondering what the hell she was supposed to say to the boy that had lost his childlike innocence in the worst way possible.

"I hate that you have to be so strong."

Carl frowned. "It's not a bad thing."

"It is. You're a kid, you're not supposed to be dealing with shit like this."

"Well, there's not much we can do now." Carl mumbled and Rhiannon smiled sadly at how headstrong he'd grown to be.

"You know I love you, right?"

Carl blushed at her words and averted his eyes bashfully. She smiled, it reminded her of the way Daryl would get shy whenever she was outright with her feelings.

"I love you too." The young boy muttered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?" Rhiannon teased him.

"I love you too." He said louder, sounding annoyed and embarrassed.

She laughed loudly, bringing a smile to Carl's face.

"By the way, telling Michonne I made you be nice to her, is the exact opposite of being nice to her." She teased him, changing the subject, which she knew he was thankful for.

Carl rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. He knew she'd have something to say about that.

"We're gonna be just fine." She assured him and he sighed deeply before nodding, knowing deep down that she was right, though it didn't do much to calm the anger that had been simmering inside him since he lost his mother.

Rhiannon smiled at him and pat his shoulder affectionately as she stood to leave.

"Rhi?" Carl called out to her. "If Merle leaves, will you and Daryl go with him?"

"I'd never leave you."

"But do you really think him living with us is gonna work?"

Rhiannon shrugged, her face impassive. "I'm not sure. Maybe he'll surprise us."

She didn't know if she really had hope in Merle or if she was tricking herself into thinking it so she didn't crumble with the weight of stress that hung over her.

* * *

As soon as Rhiannon stepped back into the cellblock, chaos was everywhere. She cursed under her breath and ran forward, trying to figure out where the hell she could jump into the fight without getting an elbow in the face.

"Merle, get off him!" She yelled, watching helplessly as Maggie and Michonne tried to pry his grip from the chokehold he had on Glenn.

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, making them all flinch and divert their attention. Rhiannon had her hand hovering over the gun at her waist, ready if there was any danger, but when she noticed the shot had come from Beth who had successfully broken up the fight, a small, amused smile began to form.

"Damn." She muttered, looking at her baby sister proudly. She hadn't expected that kind of fierceness from her.

"Let me go!" Merle yelled, shrugging off the women behind him, the force of his movements making Rhiannon's expression harden.

She looked to Maggie, silently asking if she was ok. Her sister nodded to her, reassuring her before moving her attention to Glenn, but he quickly shook her off and stormed out of the prison.

Rhiannon watcher her sister sulk back into the cellblock and she crossed her arms over her chest, barely able to contain her frustration.

"Merle, can I talk you?" She asked through gritted teeth, eyeing the man harshly.

Merle just rolled his eyes and ignored her, moving to sit at the table with his back turned to face her.

"Merle, get your ugly, white trash ass over here right now." She scolded, glaring at him sternly.

Merle's eyes narrowed at her and he was ready to protest stubbornly and lash out at her like his instincts told him, but when he looked at her wide eyes that had haunted him since he'd seen them pleading with him when he left her alone with the Governor, he found himself at a loss for words and a loss of options.

He grumbled curse words under his breath and followed her to the dark halls of the prison.

"Gotta say, Bambi, I'm flattered, but I ain't the type to screw over my brother."

Rhiannon's eyes narrowed dangerously at what he was insinuating and pushed at his shoulder, making his back hit the wall behind him.

"I'm so sick of your shit. What do you think being a dick is gonna accomplish? You're here with us, get used to it and stop being so fucking self destructive. Are you really that selfish?"

"Back the fuck off." He snapped at her, his face clouded with anger.

"Daryl loves you and he wants you here. Can you really not let go of your ego to make this work, at least for him?"

Merle's silence forced her to ask the question that had been on her mind the entire time he'd been with them, but had been dreading to ask.

"Do you even care about Daryl? Do you care that he's happy or are you really that narcissistic that you'd ruin it just cause you're not his boss anymore?"

Merle's eyes darkened and Rhiannon shifted slightly, worried that she'd poked the bear too hard and should flee before she got mauled.

"You got a lotta nerve stickin' your nose in where it don't belong." He sneered at her, taking a step closer, making her take a step back. "You think you know my brother, what we've been through? You think just cause you're fuckin' him I'm supposed to like you?"

Rhiannon glared at him, crossing her arms over chest. "I couldn't care less if you like me, but you have to tolerate me, you have to tolerate all of us for Daryl's sake."

Merle rolled his eyes, letting out an amused scoff.

"You know he left because he thought you'd be different. He thought you could actually give a shit about him and part of the reason he came back was because you made it clear to him you didn't."

Rhiannon was expecting to be yelled at, but she was thoroughly shocked when, instead, she saw his eyes soften and a look of regret passed over his usual scowl. Her lips parted with surprise as she practically gaped at him. She didn't know what to say now.

Things between them shifted, the tension wasn't as suffocating as before.

"Look, don't freak out on me for saying this, but I know about your past and I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. I know family hasn't had much of a meaning for you, but that can change. Daryl made it mean something to him and I think if you really tried, you could too. No one can go through all this shit alone. I know you know that, I mean, why else were you with the Governor if you could?"

Merle wanted to scream at her for bringing up his past, but strangely, he found that what he was feeling wasn't rage, which was practically unheard of. He knew she was right. The Governor had brought him in when he was close to dying and while he knew that he was a sick man, he didn't leave because he didn't want to be alone, something he had trouble admitting to even himself.

Merle's weakness was Daryl and Rhiannon knew that, but instead of immediately jumping to the conclusion that she'd use that against him, he knew she wanted what was best for his baby brother, something he couldn't fault her for, it actually made him like her, which he was trying hard to suppress.

She called him out on his bullshit and didn't back down when he raised his voice, in fact, it only made her yell even louder to match him and he couldn't deny that he found it quite amusing. He had never met someone who could do that, not even Daryl did that.

"You're a lot like Daryl was when I first met him." She started after a long silence, realizing Merle wasn't going to respond to her. "You both build these walls to keep people out cause you're scared of being judged for what happened to you, which wasn't even your fault. I just think it's pointless to keep up this careless tough guy act. It's not doing anyone any good."

"What, you my therapist now?" Merle asked sarcastically.

Rhiannon snorted in amusement. "There's not enough money in the world that could make me get inside that brain."

Merle smirked and the two of them were left in silence again. Rhiannon's smile fell slightly and her face turned serious again.

"Merle, I know you don't like me, but if you care about Daryl at all, you'd try to make this work despite everything. You can't keep abandoning him."

Merle looked down in contemplation, avoiding her gaze. He felt shameful that this woman he just met knew about all the ways he'd failed his brother.

"I love my brother." He finally admitted, surprising the both of them.

"Then prove it because he doesn't know."

Merle nodded, but when he looked up and met her eyes, she could see that spark of mischief that told her their strange heart to heart was coming to an end.

"Don't get used to this. One civil conversation don't mean I'm ready to hold your hand and start callin' you sis."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Make this right, Merle, before it's too late." She told him as she slyly took the gun from her waistband. "You hurt Daryl again and I'll castrate you." She threatened, holding the gun against his crotch.

Merle smiled widely, thoroughly amused while simultaneously nervous about the weapon pressed against his junk. "C'mon, sweetheart, thought we were havin' a moment." He drawled sarcastically.

"We are, _sweetheart._ Trust me, I'd be doing that thing a favour. I don't even wanna know where it's been."

For reasons he didn't want to think about, Merle wasn't pissed off or offended by her subtle digs. Instead, he laughed. He appreciated her blunt sense of humour and he was starting to understand just why his brother was so taken with this woman. She was easy to talk to.

But in classic Merle Dixon fashion, he refused to admit that she'd been able to make him consider an attitude change and he settled for walking away from her before he ventured into territory that was too friendly.

"Good chat." Rhiannon mumbled sarcastically as he left without another word.

With a heavy sigh, she walked back to the cellblock, strangely finding herself without a heavy heart like she expected to feel after a conversation with Merle.

She hoped this was the start of a good change. It hurt her knowing how much Daryl had been let down his whole life and she wished he could finally have a good relationship with his brother.

Things were tense and the last thing they all needed were strained relationships and animosity between them. They were fighting against the Governor and they didn't need to be at odds with the people around her. So no matter how much Merle Dixon got on her nerves, she was willing to look past everything he'd done, she'd do it for Daryl.

* * *

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

Rhiannon looked up at Maggie who stood in the doorway of her cell, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You and Daryl, you guys made up."

Rhiannon nodded, her eyes narrowing at her sister in confusion. "Yeah, we worked things out. Are you and Glenn still not talking?"

"Not really. I think he's still blaming himself for what happened."

"Then try talking to him again."

"I've already tried, he just doesn't understand. He's making this all about himself." Maggie told her, her voice strained.

Rhiannon frowned and gestured for her to take a seat next to her. Maggie huffed and sat next to her, taking her hand in hers.

"Glenn loves you. It's almost nauseating to see. I'm betting he's never had to deal with something like this and he's totally out of his element." Rhiannon told her, finding it strange how similar Daryl and Glenn could be, something she never thought would happen. "He may not be showing it in the best way, but he's doing all this because he cares about you."

Maggie nodded, though she still felt at a loss about what to do. Rhiannon noticed the hesitation on her face and she smiled sightly.

"You know there's one thing that can guarantee an end to a fight."

Maggie suddenly smirked, her eyes narrowing at her older sister. "You're talking about sex, right? Is that how it worked for you and Daryl?"

"Yeah." Rhiannon shrugged casually. "I could talk and talk forever and he still wouldn't get it through his head that I forgave him. Sex was pretty much the only thing that could make him understand."

And even then, Daryl still had trouble believing he was out of the woods, despite the amazing sex they had the night before, but he was slowly getting it.

"So you think I should just jump his bones and forget about the fight?"

"Don't forget about it, just move on. Some fights just don't go anywhere. He knows he's been acting out, you know none of what happened was his fault and you're left at a stalemate. You just need to bang it out and move on."

Maggie snorted at her blunt words that contrasted her deep thoughts, but the more she thought over her words, her smile morphed into a frown and she looked at her sister worriedly.

"When you and Daryl...did you... think about _him_ at all?"

Rhiannon's heart practically leapt out of her chest at Maggie's question. She squeezed her hand tightly, looking at her sadly.

"Not at all." She told her honestly. "After what happened with the prisoner, after he...touched me, I wasn't hesitant to be with Daryl. It felt like I was in control again after that asshole took it from me. It helped to be with him, especially after what the Governor did."

Maggie nodded, smiling weakly at her sister.

"I'm not pressuring you to do anything. If you don't wanna have sex with Glenn, then don't. I'm just saying, from personal experience, when it's with someone you love, it won't be scary at all."

Maggie squeezed her hand. "Thank you." She said quietly, her voice filled with emotion she hadn't been able to express since the incident in Woodbury. She felt like she'd been stuck this whole week.

"This whole thing is gonna blow over soon." Rhiannon assured her.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good. The bruises are almost gone, Daryl's back, things are looking up." She smiled. "Are you?"

Maggie nodded slowly, a content look on her face. "Yesh, just stressed. Maybe I do just need to get laid."

Rhiannon laughed, nudging her lightly. "Well, get to it."

Maggie laughed with her and stood to leave her cell, sending a smile back to her big sister before she left. "Hey, thanks for this. It really helped."

Rhiannon smiled, feeling almost shy from her praise. "Anytime."

As she watched Maggie leave, she suddenly felt much lighter, like there was one less problem to solve. Maggie hadn't been herself since Woodbury and it was so comforting to see her finally getting back to herself and reclaiming her body after what the Governor had done to her. She was relieved that things were finally getting back to normal despite the circumstances around them.

* * *

Daryl was itching to see Rhiannon and make sure she was ok. The way he left things with Merle this morning made him hesitant to leave him with the rest of the group and he was nervous to see the damage that he'd most likely done while he was gone.

"Dad!" Carl yelled, running out of the prison to greet his father.

Rick smiled in relief, pulling him in for a hug.

Daryl watched as he got off his bike, eyeing Rick carefully. The leader had been tense and unusually quiet since they'd parted ways with the Governor and even as he hugged his son, his face was still drawn tightly and his eyes were hard.

Daryl greeted the kid with a nod as he passed by him to make his way into the prison. He immediately spotted Merle who was sitting by himself, looking bored.

"Hey." Daryl said, catching his attention. "Everythin' go ok?" He asked, looking around at the others, pleasantly surprised when he didn't see any tears or black eyes on the others, or even on Merle.

"We're all fine and dandy." Merle smiled fakely and Daryl rolled his eyes, moving past him to find Rhiannon.

He looked into her cell and his brows furrowed, his heart rate picking up when he saw it was empty and her things that littered the floor just this morning were gone.

He stumbled back, his eyes moving frantically around the cellblock to catch a glimpse of her. He looked up to the cell she'd picked that first day in the prison, the one he stayed in by himself when he came back.

His heart jumped, clutching to that shred of hope he had desperately. He made his way up the stairs and as he stood in the doorway and saw her putting her stuff on the lone shelf on the wall, he sighed in relief.

She turned to face him and a brilliantly bright smile stretched across her face.

"Hey, you ok?"

"'M good." He told her, stepping towards her slowly, looking around the cell as if to make sure all her stuff was there to assure himself that she really was moving back in.

"I hope you don't mind. Figured we could stay in here...together."

"Course I don't mind." He said, his lips quirking up into a small smile. He could barely comprehend how relieved he was that he wouldn't have to suffer through another night without her next to him.

"How were things here? Did Merle start anything?"

"He doesn't have a broken nose, so I'd say things were ok." She said with a smirk. She didn't exactly want to go into detail about the way she'd threaten his brother's dick with a gun to force him to be nice to people. That probably wouldn't bode well for either of them.

Daryl huffed out a laugh and moved forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Rhiannon smiled against him, moving up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"How did it go today?" She asked once they'd finally pulled away from each other.

"I dunno, Rick ain't said much about it." He shrugged. "C'mon." He grabbed her hand and together they walked out of their cell and down to the others that were waiting for Rick to explain what happened with the enemy.

She caught Maggie's eye and gave her a knowing smirk when she blushed and looked down. Glenn sent her a smile, having an idea that Rhiannon had been the one to give his girlfriend a push.

She smiled back at him and leaned against the wall next to Daryl, his arm brushing against hers in a simple gesture of affection that was enough to make her heart beat faster.

"Did you talk to him?" Rhiannon asked quietly, almost nervous for his answer.

"Nah, let Rick do all the talkin'. Knew I wouldn't be able to look at the guy without wantin' to put a bolt in his eye."

Rhiannon smiled lightly, her heart fluttering at his protectiveness, before she turned to face Rick. She was immediately taken aback by the look on his face. She hadn't seen him so tense since he lost Lori.

"So, I met this Governor. He wants the prison. He wants us gone." Rick started, looking at all of them with a calculated stare. "He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." He paused, his jaw tightening. "We're going to war."

Daryl tensed beside her, his hands clenching into fists. Rhiannon looked up at him and she nudged his hip with hers, making him look down at her. When his blue eyes saw that familiar warm brown colour that never failed to send a spark through him, he calmed down, giving her a slight nod.

No other words were spoken and the group began to separate, their minds reeling with the words their leader had told them.

"I'm gonna talk to Merle."

Rhiannon nodded, reluctant to let Daryl go after they'd been separated the whole day, but she knew there were things he needed to sort out with his brother.

Daryl leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, and left her side.

Rhiannon watched him go with an endearing smile, slightly taken aback by his display of affection. She bit her lip and looked down, moving to leave the cellblock, and her eyes immediately locked with Rick's who was already looking at her intently.

"You ok?" She asked, her smile falling into a look of concern.

Rick quickly looked down and nodded. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to him, noticing how he tensed as she did.

"Michonne told me you guys ran into Morgan yesterday. Are you ok?"

Rick let out a shaky breath, looking pained by her concern.

"Rick?"

He shook his head and plastered on a weak smile that looked faker than he intended. "I'm good. Just a little stressed."

Rhiannon pursed her lips, having to force herself not to call him out on what was a clearly bullshit answer. "Ok, well, if you need anything, let me know."

She gave him a strained smile, one he didn't return, and she left his side. Rick watched her, his tense body sagging as she left. His face twisted like he was in pain and he pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling tears spring to his eyes

His heart was heavy and it physically hurt to think of what the Governor had told him.

" _If you aren't interested in a compromise, why the hell did you come?" Rick asked, his glare locked onto the man sitting across from him._

" _You have something I want." He stated simply, leaning forward in his seat._

 _Rick raised his brows, motioning for him to continue._

 _The Governor's calm facade suddenly slipped and Rick could see how unhinged the man really was. He was almost shaking in anticipation, his eyes wide and wild with an emotion Rick couldn't recognize._

 _Rick shifted in his seat, eyeing the man uncomfortably._

" _I want Rhiannon."_

 _Rick's stomach dropped and he shook his head, his teeth gritting to keep from flipping out and ruining how hard he'd been trying to keep his cool during this whole meeting._

" _Not gonna happen." He shot him down immediately._

" _I wouldn't hurt her." The Governor told him and Rick shook his head again, his eyes narrowing in suspicion._

" _Who is she to you?" He asked. It was something he'd asked Rhiannon and she had played dumb, telling him she didn't know why the Governor had treated her differently from Maggie or why he'd kept her separate from the others._

" _She's familiar. It's...comforting having her around. I know she might protest at first, but I can assure you, I won't kill her."_

 _Rick couldn't keep the look of distaste off his face and he looked at the man across from him with confusion. He had a inkling as to what he meant, but it was unsettling to comprehend._

" _Let me guess, your wife had blonde hair and brown eyes, right?" Rick asked, a taunting tone to his voice._

 _The Governor's eyes darkened dangerously, murderously, and Rick stiffened, realizing just how insane the man was._

" _If you don't want to give her up, that's fine, I can bargain."_

" _You're not getting Rhiannon under any circumstances. I don't care if you won't hurt her, you words meant shit. You aren't touching a hair on her head." Rick snapped at him._

" _Then I want Michonne." He countered._

 _Rick clenched his jaw, he'd been backed into a corner without even realizing._

" _Is Rhiannon's life, which you're so valiantly protecting, worth Michonne's? Is one woman worth all those lives at your prison?"_

 _Rick averted his gaze, unable to keep up his calm facade. There was no way he was giving up Rhiannon to the psychopath in front of him, but could he really give up Michonne? That was surely a death sentence for her._

" _Michonne or Rhiannon, one or the other and I leave you alone."_


	51. Chapter 51

"Do you need something?" Rhiannon asked, not even having to look up from her breakfast to notice Carol's gaze on her.

"You didn't tell me you and Daryl made up."

"Thought it was pretty obvious." She shrugged, a small smirk on her face.

"Well, I'm glad. He looks happy."

Rhiannon finally looked up at the woman and she couldn't help but mirror the warm smile she saw on her face. There was something about Carol that immediately put her at ease. Knowing she was happy for her that her relationship had been repaired made her love her all the more.

Rhiannon noticed Daryl walking towards them, a bowl of oatmeal in his hand, and she gave Carol a warning look, silently telling her not to gush over them the way she was when he was around, knowing he'd get embarrassed.

"Morning." Carol smiled innocently as Daryl took a seat next to Rhiannon.

He nodded in return and Carol had spent enough time with him to not be offended by his lack of greeting. She watched with a barely contained giddy smile as Daryl looked over at Rhiannon and they smiled at each other shyly, like two teenagers in love.

It's like they were back in the honeymoon phase of their relationship now that they've just been reunited.

"How'd you sleep?" Carol asked, looking at Daryl. While the question was innocent enough, Rhiannon could sense the underlying teasing tone in her voice, she'd certainly heard it enough to recognize it, and she looked up at Carol, a warning look in her eye.

"Fine." Daryl responded vaguely, not catching on to what was going on between the two women.

"Just fine?" Carol continued and Rhiannon's eyes widened, giving her a pleading look.

As Daryl looked up, narrowing his eyes at Carol, he still didn't know what she was getting at, Rhiannon was desperate to change the subject before he caught on and blushed so hard his cheeks melted off.

"Oatmeal's good today, did you do something different?"

Carol scowled at Rhiannon playfully, seeing right through the change in topic. "Nope."

"Tastes the same as yesterday." Daryl said noncommittally and Rhiannon had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Poor man really was clueless.

The joking atmosphere around them suddenly dissipated as Rick walked into the room, his body tense like a rubber band about to snap.

"Has anyone talked to Rick? He seems upset about something." Rhiannon asked with a low voice as her attention was drawn to the stressed man who had walked out of the prison without a word to anyone.

"Well he did say we're going to war. That can be upsetting." Carol said, but Rhiannon shook her head.

"No, there's something else going on. He's not acting like himself."

"He ain't been actin' like himself for a while." Daryl added, though he had to admit he was suspicious about the way he'd been acting since they met with the Governor the day before. "I'll talk to him, see what's goin' on."

Rhiannon nodded, looking to him gratefully. Despite the harsh demeanor he sometimes put on, Daryl was a softie and no matter how much he would deny it, he cared about the group like they were his own blood.

As soon as Daryl finished his food, he pushed his bowl to the side. "I'll find you later." He said quietly, pressing a quick kiss to her temple and was making his way out of the prison before she could say anything else.

Rhiannon watched him go with a small smile. When she turned back to face Carol, her smile fell at the way the woman was watching her endearingly.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything." Carol defended, though her teasing smirk didn't leave her face, which did little to convince Rhiannon that she wasn't completely amused by Daryl's show of affection.

Rhiannon shook her head, a small smile on her face, as she brought the empty bowls to the washing bin. When she turned, she bumped into Glenn who immediately averted his eyes when she faced him and mumbled a quiet apology.

"You ok?" She asked, eyeing him curiously. He hadn't exactly been himself since Woodbury, but she thought after the advice she'd given Maggie the day before, he'd be feeling better.

"Yeah, fine." He said flippantly, keeping his gaze down.

"You sure, you look...nervous."

"I'm not." He answered, a little too quickly and Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him.

"Glenn, what's going on?" She asked slowly, though if she was being honest with herself, she hoped it wasn't anything he needed advice with. She was exhausted and she didn't think she could deal with anymore drama. Between Daryl, Merle, Carl and her sisters, she couldn't deal with putting out any more fires.

Glenn sighed heavily, his hand running through his messy hair. He looked around, making sure no one was listening to their conversation before leaning in closer.

"I need your opinion on something." He said quietly, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a more secluded corner, somewhere no one could see them.

Rhiannon raised her brow, waiting for him to continue. His fidgety demeanor was a little unsettling and she eyed him questioningly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Glenn," She urged, waiting for him to speak.

He sighed, looking more nervous than she think she'd ever seen him before. "I think I'm gonna ask Maggie to marry me."

That definitely wasn't what Rhiannon was expecting to hear and she was momentarily stunned to silence.

"Oh my god." She mumbled, a large smile suddenly breaking out. She grasped onto Glenn's hand tightly, looking up at him with excitement. "Holy shit, dude. That sex yesterday must have been fucking amazing."

Glenn blushed fiercely and laughed slightly, once again averting her eyes bashfully. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. I know it's not going to be official or anything, I just can't imagine her not being my wife, especially after everything we've been through. Now seems as good as time as any, seeing as we're going to war."

Although it was a sad thought, she could still find it romantic, and she continued to smile like a maniac.

"Don't tell anyone, ok? I haven't even asked your dad yet."

"You're gonna ask for his blessing?" Rhiannon asked in amusement.

"Well...yeah. Why, should I not?" He asked, his eyes going wide with worry.

"This isn't the eighteen hundreds, but if you must, he's definitely not gonna say no."

Finally, Glenn relaxed, his worried expression morphing into a smile. "You think she's gonna be happy?" He asked quietly, almost shyly and Rhiannon couldn't stop herself from smiling widely.

"Glenn, you make her happier than any of us could have imagined. With everything going on, we could use some good news. This is gonna blow her mind."

"Thank you."

Rhiannon pulled him in for a tight hug, taking pity on the poor man. She was worried that he wouldn't even be able to get through the proposal without stuttering or sweating profusely.

"I'm glad she met you."

Glenn nodded to her, touched by her statement. He knew Maggie loved her sister and her approval meant a lot to him.

"So, when are you gonna pop the question?"

"I dunno, I have to find a ring first." Glenn shrugged.

"Well, no matter what you find, I have no doubt that she's gonna say yes."

Glenn smiled widely, like it was the first time he really realized that Maggie would say yes and he was about to call her his wife. He smiled lightly and held onto her tighter, feeling like he was finally piecing himself together after the incident at Woodbury.

He suddenly felt bad as he thought about how he acted the past week. He'd done and said a lot of things that were objectionable.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about how I acted since...everything. I never should've blamed you for what happened."

Rhiannon furrowed her brows and shook her head. "I've already forgotten about it."

Glenn nodded thankfully, thoroughly relieved that she'd forgiven him for his behaviour which had been nagging at him since it happened.

He immediately went tense again as Maggie walked into the room. Rhiannon smirked at his reaction and nudged him lightly.

"Good luck." She whispered and quickly left his side to avoid any suspicion. If Maggie asked her what was going on, she didn't think she could stop herself from spilling the enormous secret.

She sent her sister a strained smile as she passed, trying hard not to look too suspect. Maggie smiled back at her and Rhiannon almost let out an evil sounding laugh at how clueless she was. She had no idea that her life was about to change drastically.

Before she could leave the cell block, Rhiannon turned back and sent a thumbs up to Glenn who looked back at her pleadingly, silently telling her to stop before anyone saw.

She bit her lip and shook her head, her smile never leaving her face as she left the cell block.

* * *

Once Daryl was outside it didn't take him long to spot Rick, who it looked was already being interrogated by Hershel who stood at his side.

He approached slowly, eyeing the leader carefully. "Everythin' alright?" He asked, already feeling uncomfortable with the caring display he was putting on.

Rick looked over at Daryl, and the fear that was evident in his eyes was startling for the hunter to see.

"Rick, what's goin' on?"

The man sighed deeply and ran a hand over his tired face. His puffy eyes, that were evidence of his lack of sleep, slowly raised to meet the men in front of him. It was hard enough for him to think about what the Governor had offered, but to tell the people in front of him, the two men that cared about the woman in potential danger the most, was daunting.

Both Hershel and Daryl were struck by how shaken Rick looked.

"The Governor...he offered me a deal. He would leave us alone if we did one thing for him."

"What is it?" Hershel asked and Rick winced at the hopeful tone in his voice.

"Rick?" Daryl urged when he stayed silent.

"He wants Michonne." He stated bluntly, keeping his gaze averted to avoid seeing their reaction. Hershel's eyes narrowed as a million thoughts ran through his head and he shared a look of disbelief with Daryl who, in one of his rare displays of emotion, looked shocked.

"He'll kill her." Hershel stated simply.

"He might not."

"You can't really believe that." Hershel argued, firmly believing that the Governor would take no mercy.

"That ain't us, man. That don't feel right, sendin' her out to her death. We ain't the type." Daryl chimed in as soon as he saw the doubt on Rick's face. He knew their leader wasn't in his right mind and he was taking it upon himself to be the level headed decision maker, something he thought he'd never be.

"There's nothing else we can do?" Hershel asked and he immediately noticed how Rick tensed and looked almost sick to his stomach.

"There was one more thing he offered, instead of Michonne."

"What was it?"

Rick hesitated, biting at his lip furiously. He was dreading this moment. "He wants Rhiannon."

It was silent between the three men as the words Rick had said sunk in. Daryl's eyes narrowed viciously and he sent Rick a withering glare. Though his face was hardened, his insides were anything but, he felt like his heart had fallen to his stomach.

The Governor, the psychopath that was tormenting them, wanted his girl, wanted the brightest light in his life, the only thing that made this shitty life worth anything. He wanted her, and Daryl would rather die than let that happen.

While Daryl silently panicked and bubbled with rage, Hershel, on the other hand, had no trouble outwardly showing his emotion and he looked at the leader with the saddest, heart wrenching, fearful look Rick had ever seen and he had to look away.

Daryl could barely comprehend what he was told. He couldn't imagine the thought of Rhiannon being put in danger, it made him shake with rage. The thought of her being used as bargaining power was unfathomable.

It hurt thinking about what the people around him would do, what they would sacrifice to be safe.

While he wanted to believe that Rick wasn't the kind of person who would put someone's life on the line for his own safety, his rationality was skewed. When it came to Rhiannon he became erratic and emotional at the notion of her in danger. And more than anything, he became angry.

He began pacing back and forth, his steely glare locked on Rick who still had yet to look him in the eye.

"What?" Hershel broke the silence, his voice raspy with an emotion even he had never heard before.

"He said he wants Rhiannon. He seems to be pretty taken with her." Rick explained quietly.

Before any other words could be said, Daryl began walking towards his motorcycle with large, purposeful steps.

"Daryl! Daryl, stop!" Rick yelled, running after him. He pulled his arm back, making him stop, but the determined man squirmed in his grip, pushing at Rick's chest to get him away from him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Killin' that bastard before he gets his hands on my girl." Daryl snarled, looking more dangerous than Rick had thought he'd ever seen.

"We can't just run off. We need to be smart about this, we need a plan."

"Do whatever you think you need to do, I'm endin' this now. Ain't riskin' it."

"Daryl, you can't just run off. You can't do that to her." Hershel chimed in.

At the mention of Rhiannon, the woman he was going crazy trying to protect, he relaxed, only slightly. He stopped pacing and looked down at his boots when he vision blurred with unshed tears. Just the thought of what the man planned to do with the woman he loved had him panicking.

There was no way he could let this happen.

"Why would he want her? Why would he single her out?" Hershel asked, his brows furrowed with worry.

Daryl's face dropped in realization and he growled under his breath. He remembered what he heard Rhiannon saying to Andrea about her time in Woodbury.

"She looks like his dead wife."

"That's what I figured." Rick said quietly, hating that his gut feeling had been right.

Hershel swallowed thickly, feeling his eyes sting with tears. "What are you thinking?" He asked Rick, unable to keep the horrified look off his face.

"I'm not gonna let the Governor get his hands on her." He answered immediately, slightly offended by the accusatory tone of his voice. "She's family, I'd never even consider it."

"Damn right." Daryl spat viciously, clenching his hands into fists when he felt them beginning to tremble with anger he couldn't contain. "Ain't no way this is even up for discussion."

"So we just hand over Michonne?" Rick argued, trying not to be intimidated by the ferociously protective man in front of him.

"We sure as hell ain't handin' over Rhiannon!"

Hershel sighed at Daryl's reaction. He felt terrified and on edge about what Rick had said, but he'd hoped Daryl would keep a clear head so they could talk it out. It looked like that wasn't going to happen.

Rick sighed and raised a hand in surrender, reaching out to place it on his shoulder. "Dary, we need-"

"Don't." He threatened darkly, taking a step back. "We don't need to talk about shit, it ain't happenin'."

"Daryl-"

"If you think for one second I'm gonna let that prick even look at her, I swear to god, Rick, no one can stop me from beatin' you into the ground."

"Ok, ok, let's think of this rationally." Hershel interjected, not wanting to see this get physical.

"Ain't nothing to be rational about. This isn't a discussion." Daryl said, his furious gaze locked on Rick who stayed silent, looking back at the him regretfully.

Before Hershel or Rick could try and calm him down or convince him to talk about the situation, Daryl turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving the two men to watch him leave with mirrored expressions of worry.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to face Hershel who was slightly stunned by the desperation he saw in his friend's eyes.

"You know I'd never do anything to hurt Rhiannon, right?"

"I do." Hershel answered honestly. "Daryl will come around. He's just scared. Did you really expect him to react any differently?"

Rick let out a breathless, weak sounding laugh and nodded. "Just don't want him thinking I'd ever agree to that. She's like a sister to me, I could never put her life on the line."

Hershel nodded, his rapidly beating heart beginning to calm at the assurance Rick was giving him. He knew the kind of friendship Rick had with his daughter was strong and that he'd never do something to put her in danger, but the knowledge that a dangerous man had his sights set on her was still something that shook him to his core.

"What happens when he realizes we won't be giving her up?"

"Well, there's still another option."

Hershel grimaced and shook his head. "We can't just give Michonne over to him. It's not right, especially after everything's she's done for us. We never would've been able to save my daughters and Glenn from Woodbury. We can't do this to her."

"Is she worth Rhiannon's life?" Rick asked, a question that had been rattling around his head since the meeting with the Governor.

Hershel stayed silent, which gave Rick his answer. They didn't know Michonne well, when it came down to it, they'd do whatever they needed to do if it meant saving Rhiannon. That didn't mean it still didn't make them both sick to their stomachs.

Without another word, the two men walked back into the prison and their discussion was over.

* * *

Rhiannon was in the infirmary, sorting through the limited supplies that were left. She hummed a tune under her breath as she worked, completely lost in thought. When the door suddenly burst open, she let out an embarrassing shriek and reached for her sword, raising it up threateningly as she turned on her heel.

Daryl stormed into the room, his wide eyes landing on the woman who hadn't left his mind. Usually, in a situation like this, he would've been laughing his ass off at her reaction, but Rick's words hadn't left his mind and he was stuck in a fit of rage and panic at the thought of her potentially in danger.

"Jesus, Daryl, you scared me." She said with a laugh, placing a hand over her racing heart. "What are you doing here, I thought you were talking to Rick."

At the mention of the leader, the words he'd said rang through his mind like a siren he couldn't turn off. He contemplated telling Rhiannon what he learned, but he thought better of it, she'd only try and be a hero and he would be damned if she put her life on the line for him.

He could _not_ let that happen.

The longer he stayed silent, the more Rhiannon worried.

"Are you ok?" She asked, noticing the wild look in his eyes.

He didn't bother responding with words, instead he strode forward, like a man on a mission, and grasped the back of her neck, pulling her in for a fiery kiss. Rhiannon made a sound of surprise that was muffled by his lips that didn't cease their frantic motions.

She melted into the kiss, her arms moving to wrap around his waist, her hands fisting his angel winged vest. She allowed the furious makeout to continue for a few more minutes, but it was when she felt him pull at the hem of her shirt, readying to take it off, that she couldn't hold in her thoughts any longer and she pushed at his chest, regretfully separating them.

Daryl groaned and leaned his forehead against hers, wanting nothing more than to continue. He knew what was coming and he didn't want to answer any questions.

"What's going on?" She asked, still breathless from his fervent kisses.

"Nothin'."

"Daryl, something's up. You don't just barge in and almost tear off my clothes."

He shrugged, his mind floundering for something to say that wouldn't make her suspicious. He couldn't let her know what was tearing him apart inside.

"You said we needed to make up for lost time."

Rhiannon gaped at him, not used to such a blunt answer coming from him, that was usually her thing. Her lips quirked up in an amused smirk and she suddenly started giggling like a blushing school girl.

"You've been spending too much time with me." She said, making the fiery look in his eyes fade into something more familiar to her. She smiled and reached up to cup his cheek, loving the affectionate gleam in his eyes.

"That a problem?" He asked, raising a teasing brow that made her insides clench with desire.

She let out a low moan and leaned forward, kissing him fiercely. Within seconds, he responded, deepening the kiss as his hands roamed her body hungrily.

Guilt began to creep into his mind, he knew he should come clean to her. No matter how much he told himself it was for the better that she didn't know, he couldn't help but feel bad. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and it wasn't too hard to get back into focus on the woman in front of him, especially when her hands were roaming under his shirt and her nails were scratching at his abs.

Neither of them wanted to waste any more time. Rhiannon pulled his belt from its loops and unbuttoned his jeans, having to raise her arms so he could take off her shirt before going any further on her work.

The second her shirt was off, Daryl took advantage of the flesh that was exposed and leaned forward, sucking harshly on that spot under her collar bone that he knew drove her crazy. She whined and bit her lip at the feeling of his scruff against her skin and tangled her fingers in his hair.

Daryl leaned down, clutching her thighs as he hoisted her up to sit on the counter behind her, knowing both their necks would eventually get stiff due to their height difference. She let out a muffled laugh at the action and clutched onto him tighter. He didn't take his time as he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs hastily before moving to his own jeans.

"Seriously, what's gotten into you?" She asked breathlessly, letting out a delighted laugh.

Daryl stared at her intently and his brain was screaming at him to just tell her what Rick told him. It felt wrong to keep it from her, but he knew he couldn't.

"I just… I need you." He told her, his voice barely over a whisper.

Rhiannon's eyes softened and she bit her lip, her heart fluttering wildly at the vulnerability in his voice, something he'd only ever shown her. She knew the separation had been hard on him and she was more than willing to indulge in whatever he wanted to do, knowing it would make them both feel better.

"Well, I'm not gonna stop you."

Daryl smirked and crashed his lips to hers, feeling himself finally relax at the sensation of her hands gliding over his broad shoulders. He could forget about how angry he'd been when she was wrapped in his arms the way she was. He could forget about the threat of the Governor and how scared he'd been at the threat of her in danger when he pushed himself inside her and heard that knee buckling sound of her moaning in his ear.

He panted harshly as he moved frantically, not bothering to set a slow pace. He was desperate for her and he wasn't going to hide it.

Rhiannon felt her breath leaving her in high pitched gasps as he thrusted into her roughly. She grasped onto his shoulders tightly before dragging her nails down his chest. She hated that he was still wearing his shirt and she eagerly pulled at the buttons.

Daryl let out a loud grunt as her nails dug into the bare skin of his chest and he gripped onto her waist with enough force to bruise her skin. His mind was completely blank of all the fears and worries he'd had just five minutes ago.

When he was with her like this, all that mattered was her, all he could focus on was her. The way she sounded, the way she gripped onto him and tightened her walls around him in a way that made him almost lose his balance, it all served to render his mind completely blank in the best way possible.

" _Fuck_ , you feel so good." He groaned between panting breaths.

Rhiannon smirked and circled her hips, grinding against him. They both moaned loudly and he clutched onto her tighter in response. She was still a little confused as to why he'd suddenly gone so animalistic, but she wasn't going to complain, not when he was taking her so roughly.

Daryl reached up, pulling down her bra that was annoyingly still on, to expose her breast. He growled and leaned down, his mouth latching onto her piercing.

Rhiannon let out a raspy moan and her head fell back against the cupboard behind her with a loud 'thunk'. Daryl looked up at the noise, his eyes going wide with concern.

"Shit, you ok?" He asked, his hips stopping completely and his hands reached up to grasp onto the back of her neck.

Rhiannon let out small giggles and nodded, making Daryl sigh in relief, a small smile forming at the sound of her laugh.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and wound her legs around his waist, pulling him in closer to her and Daryl growled under breath.

"I didn't tell you to stop." She breathed out and his eyes darkened with lust before he resumed his brutal pace, making the both of them sigh at the feeling.

He leaned his forehead against hers, his hands still holding onto her lovingly, a stark contrast to the way his hips were moving against hers. He hoped she was close. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer, not with how wound up he'd been by Rick's words.

His hand moved down to her clit and he could immediately tell by the way she tensed against him and moaned loudly that she was getting close to the edge. He reveled in the way his name fell from her lips in a breathless, desperate sounding moan.

"Fuck, darlin', come on. You're gonna cum for me?" He said with a husky voice.

She went rigid against him, slightly surprised by his words, and nodded frantically. "Oh god, Daryl." She moaned and it only took a couple more hard thrusts from him before she was spiraling over the edge. Her nails dug into his shoulders painfully and she swore loudly, shaky moans falling from her lips as her body shuddered against him.

Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw falling slack as she got impossibly tighter around him.

"Fuck!" He yelled and his motions became erratic as he followed behind her, reaching his peak just seconds after her.

With a shout of her name that left her dizzy with pride, she clung to him, worried she fall right off the counter if she didn't, though she really didn't have to worry about that given the way Daryl held her just as tightly.

He was panting like he had just ran a marathon. His legs trembled and he wondered how long they'd be able to keep him standing. The relief he felt as he held her against him was short lived, within seconds, he thought of Rick's words again and he was just as stressed as he had been before.

He grit his teeth and his grip tightened, as if the Governor couldn't get to her when she was trapped in his grip.

"Fuck, I was _not_ expecting that." She laughed, still wonderfully out of breath.

When she got no response from the man that held her tightly, refusing to let her go, she looked up at him, her brows furrowing as she looked at him questioningly.

"Daryl… are you sure you're ok?"

Daryl shook his head, forcing him back to the present and he looked down at her, his face comfortably relaxed. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he pulled out of her and straightened out his clothes that were in disarray.

"I am now."

Rhiannon snorted and nudged him lightly, still not used to his teasing remarks. She followed his lead and pulled her shirt back on, rearranging her clothes so that when she finally got the bearings to use her legs and walk out of the room, no one would suspect the whirlwind that had happened to her.

Daryl watched her carefully, she could tell he was itching to say something, by the way he was almost bouncing on the balls of his heels and bit at his lip, but he stayed silent.

Once she was done straightening herself out, she looked up at the man in front of her and smiled lightly, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around his waist, and he didn't waste any more time in pulling her in closer.

"Did you get anything out of Rick?" She asked and Daryl had to work hard to tense against her or let his face show just how horrified he was at the memory of what their leader had revealed.

"Nah, gonna try again, see what he says."

The lie was like vinegar on his tongue and hoped she wouldn't hate him too much if the truth eventually came out and she realized he'd been keeping this huge secret from her.

She nodded, not noticing that war going on inside the head of the man she loved, and she leaned up on her toes, pressing a long and slow kiss to his lips. He kissed her back in a way that left her dizzy, and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her features as she pulled away.

"I'll see you later." She said quietly, reluctant to actually let him leave. He nodded and kissed her again.

"See you later." He mumbled, his guilty feeling practically choking him as he spared her a long look before stepping out of the room.

He sighed deeply once the door was shut and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he tried to get his bearings. He needed to talk to Rick, they needed to figure this out. There was no way he was going to let Rhiannon go with the Governor, he wasn't letting that bastard get his hands on his girl, he'd rather die than let that happen.

He blew out a harsh breath and walked out of through the halls of the prison, dragging his feet like a petulant child.

He was _not_ looking forward to this conversation.

* * *

Rhiannon hoped she wasn't still blushing and flustered as she walked back into the cell block. She could immediately hear her sisters laughing as she entered, and a smile automatically worked its way onto her face at the sound.

She greeted them brightly and took a seat next to Maggie, feeling a sense of relief at how relaxed they were despite everything going on. She peered over as inconspicuous as possible and her shoulders deflated slightly when she saw her sister still didn't have a ring on a certain finger.

She looked up at Glenn who sat across from them and raised a brow in question. His eyes widened and his face paled, stealing a quick glance at Maggie to make sure she wasn't paying attention to them before looking back at Rhiannon with pleading eyes.

She smirked and leaned back in her seat, shaking her head slightly. She wondered how he could possibly even pop the question when he was already freaking out.

Not wanting to embarrass him any further, she forced herself back into the conversation her sisters were having.

"Oh my god, I thought Daddy was gonna kill us, he was so mad."

"What?" Rhiannon asked with a laugh, only hearing the tail end of the story.

"One time, when I was back from college, I had a little bit of a part by the dock, you know the one you always drank at."

Rhiannon pursed her lips and nodded, looking unamused by Maggie's nudge and knowing smile. She'd been the one to show her sister that special place by the dock where all the teenagers went to drink and hook up.

"Yeah, I know the one."

"Well, I guess our music was a little loud, and Daddy comes storming over, yelling at everyone to go home. I've never seen drunk kids run that fast." Maggie laughed, a certain type of gleam in her eye as she reminisced. "Daddy looked at me, steam comin' out of his ears. He was ready to tear me a new one, but Shawn stepped in, took the fall for everything."

"Remember when he stole Otis' cigars? God, I've never seen him so angry, he almost killed Shawn." Beth chimed in, a wide smile on her face as she bounced the baby on her knee.

Rhiannon felt a jolt go through her, a sick feeling of guilt and jealousy, as her sister spoke about the half brother Rhiannon avoided all his life due to her petty resentment and inability to grieve for her mother properly.

She plastered on a fake smile, hoping they wouldn't look too intently at her, or they would've definitely noticed just how fake it was.

For so long she felt like an outsider in her own family. She knew it was her own fault, but in a way that made it worse. It was always easier to blame someone else for the unhappiness in your life than to realize the only person to blame is yourself.

She felt her heart twist in a way it hadn't in years. Every family gathering she'd managed to make it to in the last ten years were always so awkward and she felt like the highschool loner that sat alone at lunch, watching the popular kids have fun and talk about how excited they were for the greatest party of the year.

She couldn't help but feel like that now as Maggie and Beth talked happily about the poor guy that did nothing wrong to her, but was ultimately shafted because of her lack of maturity.

"I'm gonna check the watch points." She said abruptly, interrupting the painful conversation happening in front of her and her sister looked at her as she stood from her spot with wide eyes.

"I just checked them." Maggie told her.

"Doesn't hurt to double check."

Without another word, Rhiannon walked away briskly, not letting them ask the questions of concern she knew they had.

Since the outbreak started, she had worked so hard to try and reform who she was and what kind of sister and daughter she wanted to be and one her family deserved, but the guilt and regret that weighed on her chest so suffocatingly made her feel back to square one.

She felt like she hadn't apologized enough, that she never would be able to. There was no apology that could make up for what she'd done to her family, what she put them through for all those years.

She needed to talk to her dad. He had a way of calming her down, especially when it came to her feeling guilty about her past behaviour with him. He could talk her off the ledge and that was what she needed right now.

She figured he was probably still talking to Rick, it didn't seem like he and Daryl had gotten much out of him before. She didn't want to intrude, so with careful and quiet footsteps she walked out to the catwalk where she'd last seen them.

Rolling her eyes at herself at the way she acted, she looked like a damn secret agent with the way she was tip toeing forward, she approached the men, but stopped when she heard them talking.

"It just ain't us, man."

She heard Daryl's gruff voice and she kept quiet, leaning against the wall so they wouldn't see her.

"No, it isn't." Her father agreed, his voice constrained and uneasy.

"We don't have another choice. If we give him Michonne we can end this. He'll leave us alone."

Rhiannon had to stifle a gasp at what she heard. Her eyes went wide and her already stressed heart started beating rapidly. They couldn't really be talking about trading Michonne's life for theirs, could they? She couldn't believe that Rick would make a deal with the literal devil in front of them.

The longer the two other man stayed silent, the angrier Rhiannon got. She couldn't fathom the thought that they agreed with this, something that was so cold and cruel.

"Would you rather we go with his other offer?" Rick's voice snapped her out of her daze and she furrowed her brows at the tense silence that followed.

"Rhiannon ain't goin' anywhere near that asshole."

Her breath hitched and her lips parted in surprise at the sound of her name being mentioned.

"Either I bring him Rhiannon or Michonne, those are the only options he gave me."

Rhiannon felt her body go stiff as a statue. Her stomach twisted violently, she worried she was about to throw up. She could barely comprehend what she heard.

The Governor wanted her. His sick obsession with her was that strong, he was that twisted that he actually used her as a bargaining chip. It made her feel sick.

With shaking legs and unstable steps, she made her way back to the cell block, wanting to get as far away from that conversation as possible.

Thankfully, her return wasn't noticed by anyone, her sisters were still sitting at that table, talking about their fond memories from before, ones that didn't include me.

 _They didn't need me then, do they need me now?,_ a voice in her head asked.

She swallowed thickly, though it was hard with the lump in her throat and she began to pace back and forth in her cell. Her heart was racing in her chest as her mind put the pieces together, no matter how much she didn't want it to.

"I can't do this." She whispered to herself, running a hand through her hair.

 _You can. You have to._

Rhiannon cursed that voice in her head and she pulled at her hair. She could still hear Maggie and Beth talking, which only served to twist the knife that was in her chest. The way they talked so fondly about their years without her, though unintentionally, only further proved that she was making the right decision.

It wasn't like she'd been a reliable presence in her family's life, would they really miss her?

She could end this war, she could end the suffering for everyone. She could keep her family safe, could keep Daryl safe, keep the baby safe.

She didn't know if the Governor would kill her, her probably wouldn't, not if he was delusional enough to believe she was his wife.

She could save all of them.

It was with little thought to repercussions, or even herself, as she told herself this was the right thing to do.

She searched through her cell frantically, not wanting to waste anymore time. It was as if her inner conscience knew she might back out if she left it any longer.

She ripped out the front page of the book she was reading and fumbled with a pen she'd found at the bottom of her bag.

With shaking hands she wrote out a note, not even really comprehending what she was saying or who she was saying it too. She just knew eventually someone would find it and figure it out.

Once it was finished, she folded it and left it on her bed. _Their_ bed.

The thought of Daryl had her pausing, making her reluctant to leave, but she had to remind herself that if she did this, he could be safe, he wouldn't be marching out on the front lines into war.

She had to do this for him, no matter how much he may hate her for it.

She left her sword in the cell, instead opting for a rifle. If the opportunity arose, if she could put up a fight, she would.

With quiet footsteps, she made her way down the stairs and took the back way out of the cell block, knowing the front of the prison where the walls were down and unguarded was her safest bet not to be noticed.

Her heart clapped wildly in her chest and it left her breathless. She had to fight back tears as she suddenly found herself breathing in the fresh outside air and she knew this was the last moment, her last chance to stop herself and think rationally about this.

Her friends flashed through her mind. Her family flashed through her mind. The man she loved and those damn blue eyes of his flashed through her mind and a shaking breath left her lips. She loved all of them so much, it hurt to think about what she was about to do. But she knew they'd do the same for her.

This was it.

She had to save them.

* * *

 **Soooo that happened…**

 **Sorry to leave you on a cliff hanger but I just couldn't resist. I'm sure you can tell, big drama is coming.**

 **Hope you enjoy reading xx**


	52. Chapter 52

Maggie ran into the cell block excitedly, staring down at the shining diamond ring on her finger with a barely contained giddy smile. She was practically bouncing on her feet as she made her way up the stairs to tell her sister the good news.

She poked her head into Rhiannon's cell and sighed in frustration when she saw it was empty. Maggie had been so sure she'd last seen her sister here. She stood at the top of the stairs, looking around the cell block for that familiar head of blonde hair she was looking for.

She clicked her tongue and placed her hands on her hips, racking her brain for where she thought her big sister would be. Her eyes roamed over the cells in front of her before her eyes caught onto something she hadn't noticed before.

Her brows furrowed as she stared at her sister's signature weapon that was propped up against the wall.

With slow steps, she approached the cell again, her eyes locked onto the sword that she barely ever saw Rhiannon without. Why wouldn't she have it now?

Maggie was about to reach out to pick it up, when she noticed something in her periphery. A solitary piece of paper sat folded on the bunk.

She didn't know what exactly all these things meant, but she knew they were out of the ordinary, and that was enough to have her heart racing and body going tense with anxiety.

She grabbed the piece of paper and unfolded it with slow motions, like she already knew what it said and how much it would destroy her.

A lump grew in her throat and she had to fight back a sob as she read the words on the paper, the loopy handwriting was unmistakable. She knew Rhiannon had written these words and it made her heart drop to her feet and she suddenly felt sick.

"Oh god." She whispered, her eyes stinging with tears.

Barely a second later, she was running out of her sister's cell, her strained voice yelling for Daryl.

* * *

Rhiannon panted heavily as she ran, the weight of the rifle on her shoulder hitting her back with each step.

She hoped she was going in the right direction. She'd only ever looked over the map Rick had a few times, but she figured the deal would go down at that saw mill where they had their meeting. She hoped.

Her lungs burned, but she didn't allow herself to stop or even slow down. She was afraid if she did, she'd realize how insane this was and talk herself into going back.

Just thinking about Daryl's wrath was enough to sway her into rethinking this, but she couldn't let it.

She was doing this for him.

* * *

"Yeah, he definitely took her here." Daryl said solemnly, picking up the bunched up wire that was left on the ground.

 _Goddamn Merle couldn't just stay out of trouble for once._

"This had to have just happened. If Merle really did take Michonne to the Governor, we can catch up." Rick told him, shifting nervously from side to side. He couldn't help the pit of guilt in his stomach. He had called this off, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let the deranged leader have Michonne. This was everything he wanted to avoid.

"I'll go, you can't track for shit."

"Daryl-"

Before Rick could try and persuade him, they heard a voice echoing through the halls and rapid footsteps coming closer. They both tensed and raised their weapons, aiming at the open door.

"Daryl! Rick!"

They relaxed, only slightly, as Maggie skid into the room, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked her, stepping towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"Rhiannon's gone." Maggie sobbed, holding out the note for them with trembling hands.

Daryl felt a strike of fear pierce through his chest like a bullet and he was sure he was pale as a ghost. "What?" He spat out, tearing the note out of her hands.

 _Don't come looking for me. Don't try and stop me_

 _I need to keep you all safe_

 _You mean the world to me_

 _I love you_

 _\- Tink_

Daryl could've sworn he actually heard his heart shatter and crumble to dust. He reread the words over and over, but it didn't help him come to terms with what was happening.

She left. He didn't understand.

Rick noticed the absolute horror and sadness on his friend's face and he frowned deeply, taking the note from his hands that were rigid and still, like his whole body had turned to stone.

He read over the words and his eyes widened with shock. He placed a hand over his mouth to try and stifle all the emotions that suddenly came bubbling to the surface. The thought of Rhiannon, his dear friend, in danger was too much to handle.

"H-how- when did- when did you find this?" Daryl stuttered, his voice sounding more weak than he'd ever heard it.

"Just now." Maggie answered. "Why would she leave? Why the hell would she think that she's keeping us safe?"

Rick's expression fell into one of complete shame and regret. He looked up at Daryl, but he was still frozen like a deer caught in headlights. He still wore that horrible look of heartbreak.

Maggie noticed his expression and her already sad face creased in confusion. They were clearly keeping something from her. "Rick, what's going on?"

He swallowed thickly and averted his gaze down to the floor, unable to have the gall to look her in the eye. "The Governor offered a trade. If we gave him Rhiannon or Michonne he'd leave us alone."

Before Maggie could respond, or even really comprehend what he had said, Daryl began pacing like a caged animal, his face turned down with fury.

"How the hell did she even find out 'bout this?" He snarled.

Rick could only shake his head, looking completely lost and frightened. "I don't know."

He was truly terrified about what was about to happen. He knew giving in to the Governor's demands was a bad idea, he just had no idea it would blow up in his face like this.

Daryl growled and punched the wall in front of him, barely even recognizing the flash of pain that assaulted his hand. He swore under his breath and put his face in his hands when he felt his eyes beginning to water, as if he could hide it from Rick and Maggie.

His heart was racing and he could feel his whole body vibrating with tension. He was about to snap. He was walking a very thin line, just on the verge of full on panicking.

"I'm goin'." He muttered and began walking to the door, but Rick stopped him, grabbing his arm to pull him back. Daryl immediately shoved him off and sent him a withering glare. "Don't try and stop me, Rick. I ain't lettin' her do this. I can't."

Rick wanted to protest, but hearing the way his voice faltered and his eyes revealed just how desperate and scared he was, he relented.

"Be careful. And bring her back." Rick told him, his voice thick with emotion.

Daryl nodded and his eyes briefly flickered over to Maggie who was unnervingly silent. She stood rigidly, her hands fidgeting, and her bottom lip quivering slightly. He felt like he should say something, her sister was in danger, he knew she was freaking out, but he couldn't.

He didn't know if Rhiannon was going to be ok and that scared him to his core. He had no words of comfort for Maggie because he was just as scared as she was.

Maggie watched him leave, her mouth still agape as she stood stock still and speechless. Rick sighed deeply and turned to face her, his face shadowed with guilt.

"Maggie…"

"She left us." She breathed out, her voice laced with disbelief. It hadn't sunk in, she couldn't believe what she'd heard.

Rick pursed his lips, not wanting to let everything going on in his head spill out and make her feel worse, and stepped forward to wrap her in his arms, the only comfort he was able to give her.

They were silent for a while, both their minds running a mile a minute. Maggie suddenly stiffened against him and pulled away slowly, her face drawn tightly.

"Were you going to give her to the Governor?"

Rick's throat closed up and his eyes widened with horror. "No! No, there was never- I wouldn't-"

"Then how did she know about this? Why would she leave? She had to have heard you talk about it, right?"

Rick squeezed his eyes shut and let out a shaking breath. He worried he stress level was getting dangerously high.

"I'll explain everything, I promise." He told her, though his voice was without that usual authoritative timbre that let everyone know he was the leader.

He knew he had to have the conversation he was dreading to have with everyone. But one of their own was in danger and it took precedence over any of his personal hang ups. He knew they would all blame him if anything happened to Rhiannon and he would be the first one to blame himself.

This whole day was like something out of a nightmare.

* * *

Daryl's steps faltered and he doubled over, his hands on his knees as he fought to catch his breath. He placed a hand over his chest and felt his heart clapping wildly, dangerously fast.

For what was probably the tenth time since he started his journey, he felt his eyes stinging and his vision blurred. He wiped at them aggressively before any tears could actually fall and sniffled, cursing himself for not being able to get it together.

His mind swirled with thoughts of her. Rhiannon was a piece of him now and if anything were to happen, if he were to lose her, he would never be the same.

He coughed, his dry throat aching from the cool weather, but forced his feet to keep moving, though his pace was sluggish. _Can't stop now._ He couldn't fathom the thought of being just a second too late.

He pictured her laying lifeless, finding her bleeding and hurt, seeing her in the Governor's arms as he ripped her away from him. It caused the pit of despair in his stomach to grow until it felt as though it would suffocate him.

All those horrible thoughts made his feet move faster and he started to run again.

 _Please be ok, please don't let it be too late. I can't lose you._

* * *

Rick winced as everyone standing in front of him started yelling all at once. He raised his hand, almost in surrender, as he tried to calm everyone down before it got too out of hand.

"She's gone?" Beth yelled, her wide eyes turning to Maggie for an answer.

Maggie hung her head and was grateful when she felt Glenn wrap his arm around her. "She left a note, said she was doing this to keep us safe."

Beth's mouth fell open but no words came out. Hershel put his arm around her when he noticed her eyes watering. He looked up at Rick and the leader felt a new wave of guilt wash over him at the look on his face.

"I was wrong, even to consider it. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Why wouldn't you? This is our lives, we deserved to know." Glenn spoke up, his eyes wide with fear for his friend.

"I know, I know. What I said last year, about it not being a democracy, I was wrong. It can't be like that. Rhiannon might still be here if I hadn't kept this a secret."

"Stop talking about her like she's gone." Carl snapped, his hard gaze locked onto his father. Carol frowned deeply and placed her hand on his shoulder, her sympathetic eyes watching as Rick looked down in shame at the accusation in his voice.

"Daryl went after her. She'll be alright. I'm sure of it." Rick told them, though he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. "I'm sorry." He added when he saw that everyone still looked upset and scared about Rhiannon's safety.

Carl continued to glare at his father and shook Carol off, stomping back into the prison. Carol watched him go and sighed, her gaze turning back to Rick with a look he couldn't decipher. She was angry and scared and he couldn't tell if that was all he saw, or if she was looking at him with blame.

Carl's outburst seemed to signal the end of the meeting as everyone began to dissipate. They didn't know what else there was to be said. Rick had no words of wisdom that would make them feel better.

Hershel made sure Beth was secure in Maggie's embrace as they walked back into the prison and he stayed behind, moving towards Rick.

The leader bit at his lip, looking like a nervous child about to be scolded by his father.

"I'm sorry." He blurted out again and Hershel shook his head.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. My daughter's never worried about her own wellbeing, if anything, I should be saying sorry to you. I never could handle her and the reckless decisions she made."

A silence fell between the two men and Rick watched with horror as Hershel's eyes began to water.

"If we lose her-"

"Hershel, stop-"

"If we lose her," He started again firmly. "I need you to keep your head clear. I know you've been going through a hard time and I've tried my best to keep you going, but if I lose her, I can't continue to be that person. I don't know how I can get through-" His voice cut off abruptly and he placed a hand over his mouth as a tear fell from his eye.

Rick felt emotion swell up, making a lump form in his throat as he watched the father begin to fall apart. He reached forward and placed his hand on the old man's shoulder.

"Your daughter is the most stubborn woman I've ever met. The devil himself couldn't make her move if she didn't want to. This won't be a day of mourning." He told him, the confidence finally back in his voice, though it still wasn't as much as he would've liked.

It did the trick though and Hershel raised his eyes to give Rick a firm nod.

"And with Daryl out there, she won't as much get a paper cut."

That got Hershel to crack the barest of smiles and he looked at Rick thankfully.

 _This won't be a day of mourning._

He hoped to god that was true. His daughter had caused him a lot of grief over the years but he would be damned if this was the last time she'd ever give him heart palpitations. It couldn't be.

* * *

Michonne walked slowly, her mind swirling with the events of the day. Merle's decision to let her go had her reeling.

She tensed as she heard hurried footsteps from the forest next to her. Her hand raised, hovering over the handle of her katana, ready to strike, when Daryl came stumbling through the cover of trees.

He looked startled to see her, his crossbow he had raised in defense falling as he stared at her incredulously. His gaze moved around her and he felt a stab of fear when he didn't see Merle with her.

"Where's my brother? You kill him?"

"He let me go."

Well that was certainly surprising. Daryl eyed her curiously, looking for any signs that she was lying. Her face was blank, her usual stoic grace that was becoming familiar to him not budging, but there was something in her eyes, a softness to them that Daryl had never seen before. Gratitude, maybe, but it was enough for Daryl to believe her.

"You seen Rhiannon out here?"

Michonne's eyes widened and her blase facade finally slipped. She looked at Daryl in confusion, her expression slowly turning to worry.

"She's taking the deal." Michonne said, realizing that the small blonde woman was currently putting her life on the line to keep her safe. She didn't know what to do with that information, she didn't know how to feel about it.

It had been a long time since someone had looked out for her, had put her safety in front of their own.

It had her feeling things she hadn't felt in a long time, a sense of solidarity she hadn't felt since Andrea, which had since fallen by the wayside.

Daryl nodded, his eyes flashing with anger. "Don't let anyone come after me." He muttered, giving her a brief glance before he was rushing past her and continuing on his long trek.

Michonne watched him go, biting at her lip nervously. She contemplated following him, but she figured he wouldn't appreciate it. She didn't know him much, if at all, but she was certainly smart enough to know the only on his mind was the girl he loved. She wasn't about to interfere with that.

She continued her slow walk back to the prison, this time, her mind wandering to that strange woman who was apparently a lot braver than Michonne had given her credit for.

* * *

Rhiannon could see the top of he silow and swallowed thickly. She was so close, past the point of no return. It would only be a few more minutes of walking until she stood in front of the Governor.

She thought of everyone at the prison and it made her walk faster. She knew by now, the note would've been found and she couldn't even imagine the level of rage Daryl would be feeling.

She couldn't keep thinking about what they were going through. It was selfish, but she had to keep her mind on the fact that she was doing this for them. She'd rather they be alive and angry at her than dead by the Governor's hands.

The sound of a gunshot had her stopping in her tracks. Her wide eyes looked towards the mill where it had come from. Did Daryl beat her there? Had he staged some sort of revolt to save her?

The thought had her sprinting forward, the rifle clutched tightly in her hands. She slowed as she approached the tree line and crouched down when she heard yelling.

Through the trees, she watched as the Governor's men fell. She cursed under her breath. If this really was Daryl, this was a new level of protectiveness.

She really shouldn't be surprised.

She watched as the men ran back to their cars and raised her rifle, using the scope to aim at the closest one. Her finger hovered over the trigger, knowing she'd be giving up her spot the second she let out the shot. It had her hesitating.

She looked around, but she couldn't spot him. She wanted to scoff, of course the Governor would be too much of a coward to fight alongside his men. With a heavy sigh and a deep scowl, she pulled the trigger and watched in satisfaction as one of the Woodbury men crumpled to the ground.

The men around him scattered, their eyes turning to face the forest where she was hiding.

Rhiannon squared her shoulders and let out a deep breath, she couldn't let herself get cold feet now. She aimed and fired at each man that held their guns up in her direction, taking them out with a precision she didn't realize she had.

She knew she was a good shot, but she'd never been in a firefight like this before. When the Governor came to their gates she'd been too busy bleeding and writhing in pain to put up a good fight.

This was the second time she'd killed and she couldn't let herself dwell on it. She didn't have time to.

When the last one fell, she didn't waste anymore time, she sprung up from her hiding spot and ran forward, her head turning every which way incase more men from Woodbury came out of the many hiding places the saw mill offered them.

Rhiannon felt her heart racing and she quickly ducked behind the barn when she heard shouts, shouts that were too close for her liking. She peered around the corner slowly, letting out a long breath when she saw the Governor's men scrambling to get into their cars.

There were still men lurking around, but at least some of them were making her life easier and ducking out.

She moved down to the other end of the barn and snuck in just as one of the cars drove by. She held her breath as she entered the barn.

She felt like she was in a horror movie, as if someone with a gun, intent on killing her, was going to pop out from the dark shadows at any second.

 _This is fucking crazy,_ she thought to herself. Never in her life did she think she'd be in this position, gun in hand, looking out for the next target.

The sound of grunts and cries of pain made her already tense body freeze. It was coming from the loft above her. The sound of someone being punched was clear and her heart dropped. If this really was Daryl doing this to protect her, she could never live with herself if she didn't intervene.

With light footsteps she moved as quickly as she could to the ladder in front of her. Thankfully the noise of the fight concealed any noise she made and she'd drawn no attention to herself.

As she slowly climbed the ladder and the fight came into view, she had to blink a couple of times to make sure she was actually seeing what was in front of her. She tried not to cower at the Governor's imposing figure, but it was the sight of Merle getting pummeled by the man's fists that had her frozen in shock.

As stealthily as she could be, she pulled the rifle that hung over her shoulder forward and aimed. The click that sounded as soon as she pulled the trigger made her grit her teeth and yell a curse in her head.

She looked at the men fighting, still oblivious to her presence, and raked her buzzing brain for a plan. With a flick of her eyes she noticed the Governor was only a foot away from the edge of the loft, just a simple push away from falling.

She obviously didn't have the physical strength to take him down, but she had the advantage, he had no idea she was there.

Remembering the one time she went to her high school boyfriend's rugby game, she thought of how exactly she'd pull this off. She was terrified, but it was when she saw the Governor pull a gun from his waistband that she knew she needed to move, and quickly.

 _Well, here goes nothing._

With the might of someone twice her size -the adrenaline was coursing through her body- she ran forward and used her shoulder to ram into the Governor's side, letting out a loud grunt at the impact.

It was like everything happened in slow motion.

The Governor looked at her, his face stunned in a way she thought she'd never see. He reached out to her as he fell, his fingers just barely grasping her jacket before she was pulled back.

Merle grabbed her around the waist and threw himself back, landing with a breathless huff as Rhiannon fell on top of him.

A loud crash sounded but within a second it was deathly silent.

"Holy shit." Merle whispered.

His voice seemed to knock Rhiannon out of her daze and she quickly rolled off him.

"The fuck you doin' here, Bambi?" Merle yelled at her, though his voice lacked that sharp edge she was used to hearing. Now, he spoke with only pure shock.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Takin' care of this mess y'all started."

"Yeah, it looked like you were handling it." She said sarcastically, getting back to her feet.

Merle wiped at his bloody nose, looking at her unamused. His head motioned to the broken beams the Governor had fallen through and he moved to stand in front of her, peering over the edge slowly.

"Shit."

"He's gone?" Rhiannon asked, already knowing the answer by the anger shown on Merle's face.

"C'mon, he ain't far. We can finish this."

Rhiannon was surprised he wasn't yelling at her, forcing her to go back. That definitely would've been the conversation she'd be having if it really had been Daryl there.

Merle climbed down the ladder, his eyes scanning around the barn with a scowl. He grit his teeth at the silence, the Governor really had just slipped through their fingers. He turned, eyeing Rhiannon carefully as she climbed down after him.

"What're you doin' here?" He asked, sounding more calm than before.

Rhiannon averted her gaze, feeling shame at the prospect of having to say her stupid decision out loud. "Heard about the trade." Was all she said.

Merle narrowed his eyes at her, his usually blase facade falling as he stared at her with barely suppressed shock.

"Does Daryl know you're here?"

Rhiannon stared at him plainly, raising a brow as if to say 'really'. Merle scoffed at himself and shook his head.

"Got a shitstorm waitin' for you, sweet cheeks."

Rhiannon didn't respond, her gaze moving down to her shoes at his words. Merle eyed her questioningly, his eyes narrowing at her lack of response.

"You weren't plannin' on gettin' back, were you?"

Rhiannon sighed heavily, running a hand through her tangled hair. "This is the only way to stop all this fighting."

"Well ain't you quite the hypocrite."

Rhiannon frown and glared at Merle in confusion.

"You got all this big talk 'bout treatin' my brother right, not takin' off, but you're makin' the same mistakes I did."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Rhiannon told him, ignoring the way her heart began to pound and the guilt that choked her.

Merle scoffed again and Rhiannon rolled her eyes.

"I know my brother and I've seen the way he looks at you. He's gonna be heartbroken."

The serious tone of his voice had her thrown and she looked at him carefully, expecting a 'sike' to follow his deep words.

"He's gonna be safe. That's what matters."

"What matters is his happiness. Isn't that what you told me?" Merle argued. "Go back, I'll take care of this."

"So you can die? I don't think so."

"Ain't gonna die, don't be so dramatic."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "You just had a gun pointed at you, moron. You'd be rotting in hell right now if I hadn't shown up."

Merle ignored her and walked away from her without another word, making his way to the small window on the other side of the barn.

"Can't even get a 'thank you'?" She mumbled to herself as she followed behind him.

Merle crouched down and peeked out the window, his eyes scanning the empty field before him. He cursed under his breath, his teeth gritting.

"Is he gone?"

"Looks like it. Coward knows when he's lost."

Rhiannon frowned, all this was for nothing.

"Why you look so upset?"

Rhiannon looked over at him, her eyes soft. "I was supposed to end this. I was doing this to keep them safe, but now, all I did was leave them."

"You really think your death was gonna bring them together, that they'd be holdin' hands signin' hallelujah 'cause of your sacrifice? You must be more stupid than I thought."

Rhiannon glared at him sternly, her eyes turning dark. "They would've been safe, they wouldn't be fighting a war."

"The Governor won't stop." Merle told her sternly. "He'd use you to get to Daryl. He'd bring your battered body to the prison and show my baby brother how much fun he's havin' with his girl. You wouldn't be doing shit."

Rhiannon felt tears sting her eyes. It was a thought she'd had but chosen to ignore in favour of her wild ambitions. But hearing Merle say it made her feel like shit, it made her feel like a reckless teenager, the person she used to be and had tried so hard not be again. Looks like she hadn't made much process.

She thought of Daryl and that was when the dam threatened to break. She had found a kind of happiness she never thought she would, and here she was, practically throwing it away. But it was _for_ him - to keep him safe. She'd do this a thousand times over if it meant keeping him safe, but the thought of how hurt he'd be and knowing she was the cause of it, that was what had her so wrecked with emotion.

"I had to at least try, right?" She asked, her voice now small and vulnerable.

Merle watched as her eyes began to fill with tears, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"C'mon, let's get goin' before my baby brother does some stupid shit."

Rhiannon nodded, looking thankful that he'd breezed past her inevitable break down.

Merle slowly stood, his eyes roaming every which way for any sign of danger. Rhiannon moved to the doors and opened them slowly.

"I don't see him." She said quietly as she began to step out.

She gasped as she was suddenly pushed to the ground, Merle's heavy body covering hers. The sound of a gunshot ripped through the silence and she stared up in shock as Merle hovered over her.

"Stay down!" He yelled at her. Looking out towards the field where the Governor was still lurking. He grabbed Rhiannon and pulled her back by her shirt, making sure they were both behind the cover the barn provided.

"Son of a bitch." Merle cursed, reaching up to hold onto his shoulder.

Rhiannon's jaw slowly dropped when she noticed a pool of red growing under his fingers. "You…"

"Fucker's finally leavin'." Merle said, his voice strained with pain he tried so hard to hide.

"Merle-"

"'M fine." He cut her off before she could make a fuss over him.

Rhiannon grabbed his hand, stopping him before he could stand up, and he looked down at her, his eyes wide from the sudden touch. "You saved my life." She said slowly, like she herself couldn't believe it.

Merle shrugged, his eyes averting from her bashfully in a way that reminded her so much of Daryl.

"You saved mine first." He said quietly in a rare moment of sincerity.

The two of them stayed silent after that, neither having any more to say. They knew they'd both done some things in the last five minutes that they never thought they'd be doing, they knew things had changed between them. The basic understanding they'd had with each other was stronger, more solidified by the trauma of the would be sacrifice they were both so close to making.

Their tense bodies relaxed, the both of them letting out sighs of relief at the sound of a car driving away.

The Governor was finally leaving.

"We should head back. We need to get you stitched up."

Merle didn't look too thrilled at the prospect of going back to the prison where he was the most hated man, well, _second_ most hated. The Governor had first position locked down.

With no ammo left, the rifle she brought was now useless and the both of them were left defenseless, especially with Merle bleeding profusely.

"C'mon, we gotta be fast, we can't be caught in a fight."

Merle finally nodded, letting her lead the way. Maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe it was the way Rhiannon's words from the other day continued to roll through his head, but he felt prideful of the fact that he had actually done something good. He had to prove to Daryl that he cared, that he wasn't the same of good for nothing asshole he used to be.

Saving his girl was just about the best way to prove it to him.

"I'll put in a good word for you." Merle spoke up, giving her a weak smirk that didn't look at all convincing.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, only half annoyed. She knew they were verging a little too close to friendship territory and he needed to diffuse the tension, but she could find the amusement in his comment. No matter how bittersweet it was.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it." She answered plainly, sounding less than excited to face Daryl.

The pair moved out of the barn and through the winding paths that would lead to the main road. They were careful to move slowly, making sure to check around every corner and every doorway that could have potentially be a trap. They were surprised they found none, but then again, they had put up a good fight, it was no wonder all the Woodbury men had high tailed it out of there at the first sign of a sneak attack.

Rhiannon kept looking back at Merle who trailed behind her a few paces, making sure he was still standing. She had to give him credit, the blood spot on his shirt was growing dangerously big but his face showed no ounce of pain.

"You still with me?"

"Relax, Bambi, Dixon's are tough fuckers. Thought you knew that by now."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes again and kept walking. She moved with silent footsteps, bracing herself against the wall of the mill and peered around the corner slowly.

She let out a gasp and moved back instinctively when a crossbow was pointed in her face.

Her heart stuttered, whether it be with relief or nerves she wasn't sure, and she stared with wide eyes at the man in front of her.

Daryl lowered his crossbow, his lips parting with surprise and the couple looked at each other with equal shock.

"Daryl…"

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his shock and without wasting anymore time, he threw his weapon down and lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her in a hug so tight it left her breathless.

Daryl was trembling against her, letting out breathless gasps of her name. His voice was like nothing she'd ever heard before, she didn't recognize it to be him.

It was like her name was a prayer, and him saying it was the only way to reach salvation.

It made guilt bubble in her stomach, even worse than it had been before. Her hands clenched into fists against the leather of his vest and she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, making the wispy ends of his hair tickle her forehead.

Tears stung her eyes and she squeezed them tightly, refusing to let go of the very thin hold she had on her emotions.

Daryl suddenly let go of her, practically throwing himself off her as he remembered why he'd been so damn relieved to see her in the first place.

He thought she'd been dead.

"Daryl," Rhiannon called out again, her voice small and hesitant.

"What the fuck, Rhiannon? What the fuck were you thinkin'?" He yelled as he began to pace in front of her, his expression wild from the whirlwind of emotions that were racing through him. He hadn't even noticed his brother yet who stood back, his eyes flicking back and forth between the couple.

He knew his brother's girl was a tough bitch, but he had his money on Daryl for this one. He knew his brother well and Merle could tell he was more pissed than he'd ever seen him in a long time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"You just left, I didn't know if you were dead or if-" He stopped abruptly, he knew he couldn't voice all the worries that had been running through his head, he couldn't stomach them. "Fuck, you didn't even tell anyone, just left a goddamn note. Maggie's fuckin' hysterical thinkin' she ain't ever gonna see her sister again!"

Rhiannon took every verbal hit he threw, she stood silently as he yelled out all his frustrations and she tried not to let herself cry too hard.

"Jesus, Rhiannon. You really care that little 'bout them, 'bout me?"

"Daryl, that's not-"

"Really? You're gonna tell me you didn't mean to hurt me? That you did this 'cause you care about me?"

"I did!" Rhiannon barked, finally jumping into the ring. "You and everyone at the prison are the reason I'm here. That psychopath wasn't gonna leave us alone and I wasn't gonna wait until he killed someone I loved to do something about it."

"So you were gonna let him kill you? That's your big plan?"

Rhiannon sighed loudly in exasperation, running a hand through her hair. She knew it wouldn't be easy to make Daryl see the reason behind her stupid plan, but the hindsight didn't help in the slightest.

"He might not have killed me." She defended lamely, her voice quiet and childish to match her childish response.

Daryl rolled his eyes and gave her a look so bitchy she was almost proud. It looks like she was rubbing off on him.

"You left!" He yelled again, getting more worked up by the second.

"Wasn't like I was the first one to do it." She told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Daryl scoffed and looked at her sternly. "You gonna keep throwin' that in my face?"

"You left for your family. What the fuck do you think I was doing here? You think I want to die, you think I want to give myself to that freak? It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I didn't know what else to do! I couldn't watch everyone I love go to war, I couldn't take the chance of losing anyone."

"So you thought it'd be better for us to lose you? How can you be so selfish?"

"Hey, relax, man." Merle finally stepped in, getting between the two when he noticed the hurt look on Rhiannon's face and a tear stream down her cheek.

Daryl turned abruptly, surprised to find his brother, but he remembered he'd been gone too. "And what the fuck do you think you're doin' here? Rick told you to wait."

"Relax!" Merle yelled, pushing at his chest. "Jesus christ, man, you're gonna bring a whole herd down on us with all your bitching."

"We should get back to the prison before it gets dark." Rhiannon interjected and Daryl clenched his jaw, turning to look back at her.

"You actually wanna be there, 'cause you've been givin' mixed signals."

Rhiannon was about to start yelling again when Merle pushed at his brother again, making his glare turn away from her.

"Would you stop bein' such a fuckin' drama queen. Your girl saved my life. I'd be walker chow if she didn't show up when she did." Merle told him, sounding much more calm than all three of them would've expected.

It was then that Daryl noticed the patch of blood on his brother's shoulder and his eyes softened, his stony scowl breaking into a look of concern. He looked back at Rhiannon and he frowned deeply when he saw how hurt and scared she looked.

It finally began to sink in that she wasn't being reckless for the sake of being reckless, she was just as shaken as he was.

"You kill him?" Daryl asked the two of them, his voice finally at a normal and acceptable octave.

"No, he got away, again." Rhiannon answered, sounding dejected. She looked to Daryl and took a hesitant step forward, slowly reaching out to grab his hand.

Daryl looked down and intertwined his fingers with hers, hearing her sigh in relief at the contact. He was still pissed, but he had to admit, he needed her close. It might be the only thing that could calm him down, even if she was the reason for his outburst.

"I didn't do this to get away from you. I didn't do this to hurt you and I'm so sorry I did." She started slowly, feeling her heart ache when she noticed Daryl wasn't looking at her, instead he had his gaze down to the ground.

She ignored Merle's watchful eyes on them and squeezed Daryl's hand as tears threatened to fall. "I love you and that's why I left. I couldn't let you get hurt."

Daryl grimaced and finally raised his head to meet her eyes.

"You really think you'd be doin' me a favour? All this, it don't mean shit if I didn't have you." He told her, inwardly cringing at how sappy he sounded, but it was the God honest truth. "I can't go through this alone, if you- if somethin' happened and I lost you… Rhi, _fuck_ , I can't-" He stammered, feeling that familiar panic arise again at the prospect of this situation being very different.

"I know, me too. And that's why I did what I did. I know you'd do the same for me. If there was even a chance you could stop the potential of me getting hurt, you'd do it, no matter what."

"That's different." Daryl mumbed.

"How?" She argued. Daryl just shook his head and looked down, but she wasn't going to give up easily. She moved forward, her hands reaching up to the sides of his face so he could look at her.

Merle, seeing how intimate the couple looked, turned and took a few steps away, giving them the space they clearly needed, though it wasn't much.

"I love you, more than I thought possible, and I'd do anything for you. The same way you'd do anything for me. It's not different, 'cause believe it or not, you don't love me more than I love you."

Daryl's entire demeanor softened at her words and he melted into her, his body relaxing, as his arms moved around her waist to hold her to him tightly.

His eyes searched hers, as if looking for any sign of dishonesty in her words, but he found none. It was almost too good to be true. The fear that his feelings were one sided was something he'd struggled with since day one, and even when they had gotten together, Daryl thought there was no way she could love him the way he loved her.

His feelings were so intense, almost too intense to really comprehend, and he thought it was practically impossible anyone, especially a woman like her, could feel that way about him.

The revelation that he really did mean that much to her was a strange feeling, one he'd never felt before and despite all the shit he'd been through in those few hours of missing her, the knowledge that this woman in front of him loved him so deeply had him feeling light, something he'd never felt all his life.

He was still pissed beyond belief, but the way she looked at him had him forgetting why.

Rhiannon sighed, knowing his mind was running a mile a minute. She leaned her forehead against his, smiling lightly when he nudged into her as if to get closer.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, holding onto him tightly.

Daryl nodded, and while he still had a fire simmering within him, he could appreciate the moment for what it was and he held onto his girl, the woman he loved so intensely, and was so relieved he was still able to do this after all those hours dreading he wouldn't be able to ever again.

* * *

 **Whew!**

 **So I know this chapter took forever and I'm so sorry, but this was such an important part to the story and I wanted to do it justice. Also Uni is horrible.**

 **Things are not going to be sunshine and rainbows, Daryl's still gonna be pissed, and oh man, get ready for the wrath of Maggie Greene. Our poor Rhiannon is gonna have a lot of grovelling to do, but Merle is alive! Let's be happy about that instead!**

 **Hope you enjoyed this behemoth of a chapter! Can't wait to hear your thoughts xx**


	53. Chapter 53

The way Rhiannon stared at the prison in front of her reminded her of the first day she stood in front of the daunting building. Only this time, she was sure what waited for her within those walls was much worse than what had first been waiting for her.

She would take walkers over the wrath of her father and sisters any day.

The Dixon brothers were unusually quiet. Well, it was unusual for Merle but not Daryl. Neither of them had much to say, they knew what uncomfortable situation waited for her and they had no words of encouragement, that wasn't exactly their style.

As soon as the three of them were stepping through the gates, Rhiannon could see a figure rushing towards them. She tensed involuntarily, still reeling from the massacre she'd taken part in just hours before.

She relaxed, only slightly, when she realized it was Rick who was quickly making his way towards her.

The relief on his face made her guilt reach a new high.

"Thank God." He breathed out, pulling her in for a tight hug. "Scared the shit outta me, Rhiannon."

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, her voice lacking the emotion she felt. It was as if she was working on autopilot.

Rick pulled away, eyeing her with furrowed brows. Her tone had red flags popping up and his gaze moved to Dary for answers, but the man had his head hung low, avoiding any eye contact.

He wondered what transpired between them. Knowing Daryl, he was guessing it wasn't quite the romantic reunion movies were made of.

"You hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. But Merle, he got shot."

Rick finally seemed to notice the other Dixon and his eyes widened slightly in disbelief at the wounded redneck. With Michonne sitting safely in the prison and Rhiannon standing in front of him alive and well, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to change the abrasive man's motives.

Just hours ago, Rick had no doubts that Merle had become his executioner - unwilling to Rick - but yet here he stood, looking tired and annoyed and both of his targets alive.

Rhiannon could sense that Rick had a million questions, but she was in no mood to answer even one.

"The Governor's still out there. We gotta make a plan, we killed a lot of his men, he's definitely gonna come here looking for revenge." She told him darkly, hoping she could skim by the fact that she had been out there in the first place, something she knew he was going to mention sooner or later.

She'd prefer it to be later… or never, but she doubted that was an option.

Rick's face slackened in surprise and he looked at her thoughtfully. He knew it was never an easy thing to kill someone, even if they did deserve it. He remembered how broken up she was the first time she killed and he hated to think she was going through that again.

He leaned down so his eyes were level with hers and he checked for any signs of that blank despair he'd seen the first time around, but was relieved to find no trace of it now. She wasn't traumatized, she was just upset. He guessed it had more to do with her current situation rather than the men she'd killed.

"You ok?"

She nodded, plastering on a weak smile. "Good as I can be despite my stupidity."

Rick scoffed, smirking despite the situation. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You thought you were doin' the right thing."

"Does my family see it the same way?" She asked bitterly, sounding like she already knew the answer.

Rick stayed quiet, pursing his lips at the awkward silence that followed. Rhiannon fought the urge to roll his eyes at the way he looked at her and felt her heart beginning to beat faster at the prospect of what was waiting for her inside.

"Let's get this over with." She mumbled, moving to walk past him, but his hand on her arm stopped her.

"Hey, for what it's worth, stupidity aside, I'm glad you're ok."

Rhiannon nodded, a small smile working it's way onto her otherwise passive face, feeling grateful for Rick for his understanding.

Her eyes shifted to Daryl who had yet to to say anything to her since they got to the prison, hell, he hadn't said anything the whole way back. It had made for an awkward trip.

He avoided her eyes, quickly looking down at his feet when he noticed her gaze on him and she sighed in defeat, knowing it wouldn't be easy to get over this particular fight.

She'd really outdone herself this time.

Rhiannon felt as if she was on death row, taking her final walk to the gallows, as she walked into the prison. She'd never been so nervous.

As soon as she stepped inside, she could feel the dark aura surrounding the entire room. Her eyes landed on her family who were huddled together, Maggie and Beth holding hands as their father read from his bible.

She swallowed thickly, quickly wondering if it was too late to turn and bolt out of the prison. But when she noticed Beth look up, her tear filled eyes widening as she let out a sob at the sight of her, Rhiannon knew it was too late and she had to face the music, no matter how much it would hurt.

"Rhiannon!" Beth yelled, bolting up from her seat.

Rhiannon smiled weakly, giving them a pathetic wave before Beth crashed into her arms, almost knocking her off her feet.

She felt unsure of herself at first, but as Beth held onto her tightly, crying into her shoulder, Rhiannon let go of all her reservations and hugged her baby sister tightly, knowing the least she could do was give her comfort when she needed it most, even if it was her fault Beth was in this state in the first place.

"You had me so scared." Beth cried quietly.

"I'm sorry." Was all Rhiannon could say despite knowing a simple apology wouldn't make things right.

Beth pulled away, her innocent face marred by the tears streaming down her face. She looked at Rhiannon and bit her lip to try and stop crying, but it was useless. "I- You can't…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say to her sister.

"I know, I don't know how to… I'm sorry." Rhiannon stammered, feeling her eyes beginning to sting. So much for keeping it together.

When Beth pulled away, Hershel took her place, his sad face coming into view. Rhiannon felt her heart break even more when she saw how broken he looked.

"Dad-"

Before she could say another word, Hershel lunged forward, pulling his eldest daughter into his arms tightly.

Rhiannon felt herself breaking as she felt her father's trembling form crushing her to him as if he was still on the brink of losing her.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Hershel whispered, feeling himself finally beginning to relax as he held his daughter and was assured that she was safe and sound. "Don't do that again." He told her, trying to sound scolding, but he was too tired to have any real authority to his voice.

Rhiannon hung her head, trying to ignore the onslaught of guilt and shame that washed over her at his words, no matter how caring he sounded.

When her father was finally emotionally stable enough to let go of his daughter, she looked around at the other faces that watched their reunion.

Carol stood with Carl by her side, both of them looking relieved to see her, though she could tell Carl was angry with her, but the baby he held in his arms didn't make him very intimidating.

Rick stood with Daryl and Merle, giving Rhiannon a encouraging nod when he noticed how nervous she looked.

"I'm glad you're ok." Glenn spoke up, making her look over at where he stood with a warm smile on his face.

Rhiannon was about to send him a smile back to show him how grateful she was for his words when she noticed Maggie standing by his side, her arms crossed over her chest and her face darkened with anger, though her eyes were watering as Beth's still were.

"I'm sorry for being so dramatic." Rhiannon said lamely, addressing the whole group who stared at her like she was a museum exhibit.

Maggie rolled her eyes at her weak apology and stormed into the cell block, leaving her big sister to watch her go with a lump in her throat.

"Maggie-" Hershel called out but she was already in her cell, taking a hard stand against her sister that even their father couldn't stop.

He turned and looked at Rhiannon, his eyes full of sympathy. Rhiannon hated that look and she immediately turned her gaze away from him. It was then she noticed everyone in the room was looking at her the same way and she felt like screaming in frustration.

"She'll calm down, she just needs some time." Hershel told her.

Rhiannon exhaled loudly, the adrenaline of the day wearing off and exhaustion hitting her roughly.

"Why don't we get you patched up." Hershel looked to Merle, finally noticing the state of him and gesturing for him to follow as he walked into the cell block.

Merle, averting his eyes from the attention that was on him the same way Rhiannon did, followed Hershel without a rude comment. At least he was smart enough to read the energy in the room and realize no one would be happy with his usual antics.

As the two of them left, the room was left in an awkward silence. Rhiannon turned, noticing that Daryl still had yet to say anything.

She was dying for him to do _something_. Whenever she fought with her sisters she always had him by her side to reassure her, but now, she just felt so alone.

He looked up as she turned to face him, but his gaze quickly fell again.

Rhiannon knew she'd have to do more groveling to make up for the hell she'd put him through, but that doesn't mean it still didn't hurt her deep when he avoided even looking at her.

She knew he was still angry, but this was like he was kicking her while she was down.

Rick cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention, his face drawn tightly. "We need to make a plan. The Governor could be on his way at any moment, we need to be ready to fight back." He told them, addressing the group, but his eyes kept shifting over to her.

There was a collective sigh among the group and they gathered around one of the tables, Rhiannon flopping down ungracefully, showing just how much she'd rather be in bed in that moment.

Daryl sat down next to her, but he made sure to keep space in between them, like the way they were in the very beginning of their time together, when they had no idea what the hell they were to each other.

Usually, when they sat next to each other, their legs would touch, she'd have her head rested on his shoulder, or his hand on her thigh. They were always close, as if terrified to be ripped apart in this brutal world.

Rhiannon almost shuddered at that thought, she'd almost ruined that today. No wonder he was pissed.

"I know you're probably dead tired, but is there anything you can tell us, did you hear anything from the Governor?" Rick asked her, feeling almost guilty for keeping her up when it was clear she'd rather be anywhere else.

Rhiannon shook her head, pursing her lips. "No, but I'm guessing it won't take him long to get the rest of his people together and make their way here, we pissed him off pretty good."

"So what do we do, just end up in a firefight?" Glenn asked.

"No, we have the advantage, he's comin' to us, we need to use that."

"So, what, we 'Home Alone' this place?" Rhiannon joked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Rick smirked. "Why not?"

Everyone looked at Rick incredulously and the disbelieving looks on their faces made the leader sigh.

"I'm not saying we rig paint cans from the ceiling. We just gotta make this place more trouble than it's worth."

"Paint cans from the ceiling wouldn't be a bad idea." Rhiannon mumbled making Glenn let out a snort of a laugh at her dry humour which effectively lightened the tension in the room.

"What are you thinkin'?" Daryl asked, his terse voice cutting through the soft chuckles, immediately dialing the tension up again with his no nonsense attitude. It was clear he wasn't in the mood to joke around, not after the day he had.

Rhiannon held her hands in her lap and stayed silent, like a child who had been scolded, as the group got back to business and worked out a plan.

The rest of the day dragged on until it was dark and Rhiannon realized she'd been lost in her thoughts for far too long, thinking and worrying about how she was going to make things better for the people she loved, the people she was willing to sacrifice her life for.

"Alright, everyone get a good night's sleep. We'll pack things up in the morning." Rick announced, breaking her out of her thoughts and signaling the end of the conversation.

Rhiannon cursed herself, she wasn't much help today and it looked like she wasn't going to be any help tomorrow given that she didn't listen to a word that was said.

As everyone stood to go their separate ways, Rhiannon was slower in her movements, hanging back as the others left.

"Hey," Glenn called out quietly, nudging her lightly. "I'll catch you up tomorrow." He told her with a smirk, having seen her blank expression throughout the meeting.

Rhiannon smiled bashfully and muttered a quiet thanks as she lazily stood.

Glenn bit his lip, looking nervous as his eyes shifted from her back to the cell block. "You should wait until tomorrow to talk to Maggie. Just give her the night to relax a little."

Rhiannon tried hard not to let it show just how much those words of advice had cut her so deep. She nodded in thanks and watched as he gave her that sympathetic smile she hated and walk back into the cell block, no doubt to try and calm her sister down before a legendary fight erupted.

Rhiannon felt her stomach twisting, feeling so disheartened by the reunion, though she didn't know why she expected anything different. If roles were reversed, she'd be pissed too.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from walking away and she turned to face Carol who smile at her softly.

"I'm glad your ok, this place wouldn't be the same without you."

Rhiannon's breathing hitched and she looked down at her shoes to avoid Carol's sad eyes. The older woman noticed her apprehension and she moved forward, her hands gripping her shoulders as if to keep her from running again.

"Rhiannon, I know you were just doing what you thought was right. I'm not gonna blame you for trying to keep me safe. I appreciate the effort no matter how idiotic it was."

Rhiannon scoffed in amusement and without needing to say anything else, she moved forward, wrapping her arms around the woman in a tight hug. Carol was more than happy to oblige, knowing the young woman needed a friend in this hard time and she hugged her tightly.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone." Rhiannon whispered, revealing for the first time just how vulnerable and scared she was.

"Oh, honey, I know. The others will calm down and see that, just give them some time to get over the initial shock. We weren't exactly expecting to lose anyone today, especially you."

Carol knew she didn't need to specify exactly who needed some more time to work through their anger and sadness. It was clear Maggie, Carl, and Daryl needed some time to cool down. They all hadn't said a word to the woman since she'd returned.

"Get some sleep. We can talk after this shit is over with."

Rhiannon nodded, grateful for Carol's words. She turned to move into the cell block, but stopped before she parted ways with the woman and faced her again.

"You think we'll win?"

Carol paused for a moment, wondering if she should be brutally honest or not. But she suddenly smiled lightly. "With a stubborn bitch like you on our side, how can we not."

Rhiannon laughed, the sound making Carol smile even wider. With that, the two women parted, both of them feeling better than they had just minutes before.

When she made it to the top of the stairs and to her cell, Rhiannon stopped short when she saw Daryl throwing his jacket on and her heart dropped.

"Going somewhere?" She asked, praying that her voice wouldn't waver.

"Takin' watch tonight." He answered shortly, keeping his back turned to her.

She nodded though he couldn't see and stayed in the doorway awkwardly, hesitant to move closer to him. She didn't want to poke the bear.

She couldn't deny that she felt hurt and rejected by his decision to spend the night in the guard tower and not n with her. Even if he did volunteer for watch he'd always invite her to go with him, that's how it always was with them.

"Are we ever going to talk about this or just pretend it never happened?" She asked suddenly and he tensed, his motions stopping.

He turned slowly, his face dark like thunder. He raised a brow, silently telling her to talk. It was clear she was the one that had to do the talking, not him, she was the one that decided to leave this time.

"I can say sorry a thousand times but it's not gonna make you feel any better." She started and by the blank look on his face she knew she was right. "How can I make this better? What do you need me to say?"

"What I need is for you to realize you can't go off fightin' wars by your damn self." Daryl snarled, taking a large, intimidating step towards her, but she knew him well enough not to flinch or even be scared of him.

"I saw a chance and I took it. I know you would've taken it too."

Daryl scoffed. "If I ran off on some kind of kamikaze mission, you'd kick my ass."

"Like that would've stopped you." She snarked back at him, crossing her arms over chest.

Daryl sighed heavily and ran a hand over his tired face. "That doesn't matter!"

"Why not?" She yelled back before slamming her lips together and looking over her shoulder, hoping not to see the others watching. "You don't get to always be the knight in shining armour, you can't always be the one to protect me, that's not how this works. It's a two way street."

"I don't care." Daryl said, his whole body stiff like stone and his face turned down into a scowl. "I don't give a shit what happens to me, I give a shit about you. If I lost you-"

"Wait, just stop." Rhiannon interrupted him. "Are we seriously fighting about who gets to protect who?" Her hands moved to her hair and she pulled slightly, feeling delirious with stress. "Fuck, this is so ridiculous."

That, Daryl could agree with. He stayed silent, his gaze now never wavering from hers.

"I'm not gonna apologize for wanting to keep you safe. I'm just sorry about how I did it."

"That don't make me feel better." He mumbled.

"Then what the fuck do you want from me?"

"I don't know!" Daryl yelled, his face that he'd been trying hard to keep expressionless breaking as he frowned deeply, revealing just how wounded he felt by this whole situation.

Rhiannon's lips parted but nothing came out as she floundered for words. Her eyes softened as she watched the man in front of her wither. His tense body sagged and he hung his head, unable to keep looking at her.

"Nothin' can make me change my mind. I get that you wanted to stop this shit, I know that's the kind of person you are, but I could've lost you. I ain't ever gonna be ok with that."

Rhiannon's frown now matched his and she stepped towards him, reaching a tentative hand out. Daryl flinched when he felt her touch on his arm and he was startled out of his dark thoughts about how today could've turned out.

When he finally raised his head and his eyes met hers, Rhiannon's had to hold back from just crumbling and sobbing for the entire night, which honestly didn't sound like a bad idea.

When he fully comprehended that it was her that was touching him, the woman he was so close to losing today, he sighed in relief and leaned into her touch, his body pressing against hers until there was no space left between them.

He held her to him tightly and Rhiannon felt like she was finally able to breathe again. Her arms wound around his waist and she breathed deeply, finding comfort in that familiar scent of leather and fresh air.

"I can't go through that again." Daryl mumbled against her hair. "I don't give a shit if you wanna be a hero, it ain't happenin'."

She nodded against his chest, refusing to use her voice, knowing it wouldn't be strong enough in that moment.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, barely audible. She inwardly cringed, she felt like she'd repeated that word too many times in the past hour that it had lost its meaning.

Daryl pulled away from her, his eyes looking above her head to avoid her gaze. He knew if he looked into those big brown eyes he'd give in and fall right back into her arms like he so badly wanted to do.

"Gotta take watch." He mumbled.

Rhiannon's arms fell to her side, immediately missing the warmth of his body and she moved to the side so he could pass her and he did without another word.

She held back a sigh, she couldn't help but feel disappointed at how that conversation had went. She had expected more yelling and she was thankful it hadn't escalated into a full blown fight, but his passive, cold demeanor just might have been worse.

"Hey, Rhi?"

She turned at the sound of his husky voice, trying to keep her hopeful expression somewhat neutral so he didn't see just how desperate she was for his forgiveness. It seemed like they went from one fight to the next, with barely a day of bliss in between. She couldn't wait until things were better, she missed him. It felt like they hadn't been the same since before the whole mess with the Governor.

Daryl's eyes were softer than before and he looked at her the same way he'd always looked at her, with affection.

She'd missed that so much.

"Thanks for what you did for my brother. I know he didn't deserve it, 'specially not from you after what he did, but...thanks." He said quietly, looking awkward at the outward show of emotion that he'd been trying to hide.

"Of course." Rhiannon smiled. "He might have made the worst possible first impression, but he's trying."

Daryl nodded, the corner of his mouth quirking up in the slightest hint of a smile, before it suddenly fell and he began chewing on his bottom lip nervously. His brows furrowed and he looked like he was in deep thought.

Before he could tell himself it was probably a bad idea to give in while he was still simmering with anger, he didn't care, he was just so relieved that she was ok. He moved forward and before she could even blink, he placed a quick but sweet kiss to her forehead and was gone before she could say anything.

Rhiannon watched him leave, a surprised smile growing. She knew he was still angry and needed to wait until it dissipated before things could go back to normal between them.

But that short and simple kiss made her hopeful that things would be ok.

* * *

The next morning Rhiannon was up before dawn, tired after a night of fitful sleep. She always had a hard time sleeping without Daryl by her side. His side of the bed felt cold like ice and it had her tossing and turning with regret all night.

Despite how tired she was, she knew she had to get down to business and face the difficult day that faced her. She quickly met up with Glenn who relayed the plan that was laid out last night when she'd been to busy staring off into space to listen.

She'd caught a brief glance at Daryl, who she hadn't seen since he left for watch the night before, as he packed up his belongings from their cell. She hoped it was still _their_ cell and that it wouldn't become just hers.

He had flashed her a brief smile, it was barely a twitch of the lips but that counted as a Dixon smile. That had certainly put her somewhat at ease, but she could still see the hesitation in his gaze.

She couldn't wait until this mess was over with and they never had to deal with the Governor again, she just wanted things to go back to the twisted version of normal this world allowed them.

She wanted her brash but sweet man back.

* * *

Daryl's foot tapped on the floor impatiently, a nervous tick, as he watched Rhiannon disappear from his view as she went into their cell.

"You two fightin'?" Merle asked, taking a seat next to his brother.

Daryl flinched, looking over at him with a surprised look on his face. He hadn't realized Merle had seen him watching his girl like a lovesick idiot.

He just shrugged, not wanting to get into this conversation, especially with Merle. He was the last person to be giving relationship advice.

"Goddamn, little brother, don't be such a pussy."

Daryl sighed heavily, trying to keep his annoyance in check. He settled for sending a stone cold glare his way and kept silent.

"You're bein' a drama queen 'cause you almost lost her so what the fuck kind'a sense does it make to keep her at arms length now that you still have her?"

Daryl opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it when he realized that what he was saying actually made sense.

"I'm no expert in relationships, there's a brothel of girls that'll testify to that, but I know enough to know that what you're doin' is beyond stupid. Your girl saved my life, don't punish her for that."

Daryl stared at his brother in shock. "You get possessed or somethin'? Hit your head a little too hard maybe?"

Merle rolled his eyes, slapping the back of his little brother's head with his only hand, but winced as at the pull in his wounded shoulder. But it was worth it.

"Don't be an asshole." Merle said with finality before leaving Daryl to think over his surprisingly accurate words.

* * *

Rhiannon was finishing packing up when she heard whispered arguing coming from the cells below her. She instantly recognized the sound of Maggie's voice, she'd been in enough fights with her sister to known that tone of her voice pretty well.

"Just go talk to her." She heard Beth tell her, sounding just as impatient as Rhiannon felt.

She fought the urge to laugh. Who would have thought that their baby sister would be the only one of them to have their head on straight? She was the one that was looking out for them rather than the other way around, the way it should've been.

Rhiannon felt oddly smug as she heard stomping footsteps coming up the stairs to her cell but she continued to pack her bag, not even bothering to turn when she felt the presence behind her.

"Look, if you're gonna bitch at me that can wait until after this shit is done with." She told Maggie abruptly.

"I'm not gonna bitch at you." Maggie mumbled. "I talk to daddy and Beth, they helped me see the whole situation a little more clearly."

"You're joking, right?" Rhiannon scoffed, finally turning to face her. "Maggie you're pisssed at me, I can tell."

"I'm not pissed."

"Then tell that to your face."

The scowl that painted Maggie's face lightened and she uncrossed her arms, realizing her standoffish posture wasn't helping her case. She sighed deeply, shifting on her feet awkwardly.

"I just...I know why you did it, but I can't keep hearing you say that you're part of this family, that you're not gonna take off like you did before and then do that shit anyways."

Rhiannon grit her teeth, she knew this was coming.

"You had all this big talk about never leaving us again…" Maggie paused, her face falling as she thought back to the day before and the trauma it had caused. "Finding that note, that killed me."

Rhiannon tried not to be made at her sister, the raw emotion she heard in that last sentence was easy to make her feel guilty again, but with her edgy past being brought up once again, she couldn't help but feel annoyed.

She stayed silent, knowing she probably wouldn't be able to keep this conversation civil once she got started.

Her silence only served to make Maggie more upset.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you that you're important to this family. It doesn't matter how hard I try to help you, you just don't get it. You've always done this, you've never cared-"

"Maggie! Would you shut the fuck up?" Rhiannon snapped. "I know I hurt you and I'm so fucking sorry I did, but this had nothing to do with that. This wasn't about me trying to get away from you because I'm fucking immature. This wasn't about me being a piece of shit that doesn't deserve her family. This was me trying to _save_ my family, the only people that fucking matter to me."

Maggie let Rhiannon rant, her face falling with every word that was yelled at her.

For so long, Maggie figured that Rhiannon was over everything that had happened, all the fights and distance between them ever since she had first left as a teenager. She had no idea that she still felt so horrible about it.

"Why wouldn't you just come to me? Why do you insist on solving everything yourself?"

"Because you'd try to stop me." Rhiannon stated simply.

Maggie's lips parted, her mouth falling open in shock at the bluntness of her words. "You'd really rather give yourself to the Governor than be here with us?"

"Are you fucking stupid?" Rhiannon yelled at her. "Can you really not see that I did this so you could be safe, so Beth and Dad could live here without having to worry about being shot the second they step outside? You're so hung up on pointing out my mistakes that that's the only thing that makes sense to you. Why are you so hung up on this? What the fuck did I do to make you hate me?"

"I don't hate you!" Maggie defended herself, crossing her arms over her chest angrily. "I'm just so tired of you apologizing and then making the same mistake over and over again."

"God, Maggie, I can't keep apologizing for this. I don't know what else to do. You just said you don't know how to make me realize that I belong in this family, but you're the one making me doubt myself. You're the one that won't let this go, you're the one that's keeping me from feeling important in this family."

Suddenly, it seemed like all of Maggie's anger vanished. The words she threw at her finally made her snap out of her daze of hurt and rage that had clouded her judgement.

She thought back to the last conversation she'd had with Rhiannon before she'd taken off and it all made sense.

"It was Shawn wasn't it?" She asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We were talking about Shawn and our time without you."

Rhiannon sighed, it sounded more petty than she first thought when it was said out loud. "I don't want to keep you from talking about him. I know he meant a lot to you guys, I just never had that relationship with him - which is completely my fault - and I just felt like…." She exhaled loudly, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what I felt. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea, but I thought of you in danger and I thought I could do something about it."

Maggie nodded and the two sisters were left in a tense silence, neither one of them making eye contact.

"We should get out there, the Governor will be here soon." Rhiannon mumbled, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Rhi- I didn't mean-" Maggie stuttered, not knowing how she could apologize for something she hadn't even realized she was doing. It was clear she'd caused a lot of emotional damage, and she still felt angry about what happened, even when looking at the situation objectively, something she hadn't been able to do before.

"When did we get so fucked up?"

"We're living in a world where people come back from the dead and eat people. Our shit doesn't seem so bad when you think about it." Maggie joked lamely, smiling when she noticed Rhiannon's small smirk.

"I know I have issues with keeping all my shit to myself. I know I can come to you or Beth when I need to and I don't know why I don't."

Maggie nodded, a sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry for always bringing up what happened in the past. I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

Rhiannon looked at her sister, her eyes showing every emotion she couldn't voice.

"I'm still pissed at you. What you did was probably the stupidest thing you ever did."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "I'm positive I've done things a lot more stupid than this"

"Yeah I know, I saw the guy you dated in high school."

Rhiannon nudged her younger sister, a smile working through the scowl she tried to send her. "Like you didn't have your share of douchebags."

Maggie laughed and for a second the tension in the air disappeared and it was as if they were back to their normal ways. It was fleeting, they both thought of what had transpired in the last twenty four hours and their smiles fell.

"We should talk after this. We have a lot of shit to deal with."

Rhiannon nodded, knowing they still had years of unresolved tension to work through, but she wouldn't really expect anything less, sisters were tough to deal with. She reached out for her hand and squeezed comfortingly.

"Be safe today."

"You too." Maggie told her, giving her a warm smile that was able to actually be genuine despite the hurt and regret she still felt about the situation.

With that, the sisters made their way downstairs to meet the others. They simultaneously rolled their eyes at all the questioning gazes that locked onto them the second they met with the others.

"Alright, everyone knows their job, let's get into position." Rick ordered, thankfully tearing the focus away from the drama of the sisters.

Rhiannon immediately made her way to hug Beth and her father goodbye, going through the same speech about safety from her father that she'd heard enough to be able to recite back to him word for word.

She watched as Merle walked past her, his arm in a sling. He gave her a nod as he moved to follow her father. Surprised by his gesture, she gave him a small smile.

She knew he wasn't happy about having to leave with the kids, but he shockingly hadn't said anything about it. He knew there was little he could do with just having been shot in the shoulder the day before.

Rhiannon made sure her weapon was across her back and she went to follow Rick, Daryl, Carol, and Michonne through the dark hallways of the prison.

"Ok, as soon as they're close you throw the smoke bombs and then get the hell outta the line of fire." Rick told her and Michonne.

She was surprised she'd been paired up with the strong and silent woman as opposed to Daryl, but she tried not to look into that. She'd probably drive herself crazy wondering why Daryl wasn't putting up a fight about being separated from her. She knew he needed some space to clear his head, but she assumed in a situation as dire as this he'd lighten up a little.

As Rick clarified everyone's jobs and they eventually moved to their separate ways, Rhiannon went to follow Michonne but was stopped by a hand on her arm gently pulling her back.

She turned and faced Daryl who looked nervous, he was practically fidgeting on his feet.

"Be careful, ok?"

She nodded, her soft eyes watching him carefully. "You too."

He nodded, keeping his expression blank, and took a step away from her, but hesitating to actually leave her.

She felt her heart dropping to her stomach as she watched him slowly stepping away from her. She heated the distance between them, she hated that they couldn't be the usual affectionate couple they were. Despite how surprising it was that Daryl was even like that in the first place, she missed his touch and how he made her feel so loved and cared for.

"I love you." She said quietly.

The tentative way she said those words he loved to hear made his heart ache, but not in the way it usually did. He felt guilty. He knew she was having a rough time with everyone ragging on her for what she'd did.

It was like she was saying it to remind him and the possibility that he could ever forget was laughable, but it cut him deep to think that she didn't see it that way.

He heard the fight with Maggie, everyone did, and he hated that she felt so alone. He never wanted her to feel that way, especially since she was only trying to help, no matter how heartbreaking her stupid decision could've been.

He stepped towards her purposefully, his hands cradling either side of her face as he leaned down, crashing his lips to hers fiercely.

The desperation he'd felt since he first found out she was gone came bubbling to the surface as he kissed her passionately, as if it were the last chance he'd ever get to.

Rhiannon moaned against his lips, her arms winding around his waist as she pressed her body against his. His hands moved to the back of her neck, his fingers trailing through the hair on the back of her head as his lips moved against hers with fervor.

He had been terrified for her life the day before and he wasn't going to pretend he was ok. He was desperate for her, desperate to be close to her after the scare he had.

He pulled away, breathing heavily as he leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes opened slowly, taking in every inch of her face, wanting to sear the image of her breathless and smiling into his mind forever.

"Love you too." He told her quietly, his nose nudging against hers as he leaned into her even further, wishing there could be no space between them.

Rhiannon leaned forward, capturing his lips for another searing kiss. This time it was Daryl's turn to moan against her as she bit at his lip playfully. His fingers tightened in her hair and hers tightened in the leather of his vest as she held onto him, refusing to let go. He took a few steps forward, backing her up against the wall, making the kiss deeper and more heated against both of their better judgements.

They didn't have long to continue making out like teenagers before they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

The both of them jumped away from each other, both of them breathing heavily, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Carol stared at the two of them, her hands on her hips as she smirked at them wickedly. Rhiannon bit her lip to keep from laughing. She looked over at Daryl and she was sure she had never seen him blush so hard before.

He couldn't even look Carol in the eye.

"You two can make up later, just wait until after we get rid of a certain psychopath and his town of followers."

"Got it." Rhiannon chirped out, her voice higher pitched than usual.

Carol snorted out a laugh and walked back to her post, leaving the blushing and embarrassed couple to finish their goodbye.

They were left in silence for a few seconds that was eventually broken as Rhiannon started laughing. Daryl couldn't help but smile and he nudged her lightly.

"Stay safe, ok?" Daryl told her, know more serious than before.

"I will. There's no way I'm dying without finishing what you started." Rhiannon teased, already making her way down the hall away from him.

His eyes darkened briefly before he looked at her impatiently. Now really wasn't the time for this.

"You're somethin' else, Tink." He told her in amusement as he finally started to follow Carol to where they were supposed to be.

Rhiannon's heart fluttered as she watched him walk away, the both of them sharing small smiles until he was out of sight.

She tried to calm the lovesick smile on her face, knowing it was quite insensitive to walk around looking happy in a time like this. The more she thought of the Governor and the thought of facing him again, the darker her mind became and the incredibly calm and loving aura Daryl had provided her had dissipated into fear.

She didn't have time to revel in the fact that Daryl had forgiven her, at least she hoped that's what he had meant by that knee-buckling kiss.

There was no doubt that the Governor wanted her blood, wanted revenge for what she'd done the day before. She was sure she would be his main target.

She couldn't let the thought of him scare her or keep her from defending the prison and her family.

He was going to die, he needed to for the people she loved to live.

The thought of taking a life used to make her uncomfortable, something she wouldn't allow herself to think about. But now, she was determined to end this.

Taking a life didn't seem so scary now, not when it was the Governor on the other end of her gun.

* * *

 **Man oh man, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to come out. I've had midterms and assignments due every week for the past month. School is kicking my ass right now, but I found my motivation for this story in procrastination, which probably isn't a good thing but oh well.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter, I tried not to give Rhiannon too harsh of a time.**

 **Hope there was enough Daryl fluff to make up for the heaviness of the chapter and how long you guys had to wait for it.**

 **As always, you guys are the best, your reviews make me smile and motivate me to continue.**

 **Thanks for reading xx**


	54. Chapter 54

The silence in the room was stifling. Both women were antsy, waiting to hear the slightest sound that would indicate their enemy's arrival.

Rhiannon hated the silence. Usually, with Daryl, she enjoyed the quiet moments of peace, but this silence was anything but peaceful.

She hated waiting, especially for a fight.

Sighing heavily, she leaned her head against the wall behind her, her fingers tapping against her thigh in a rhythm that matched the song in her head that she really shouldn't have been focusing on.

Michonne looked over at her from where she was crouched beside her. Her lips quirked up slightly in the smallest hint of a smile.

"You aren't a very patient person, are you?"

Rhiannon smiled shyly. "I guess not. This isn't exactly my idea of a fun day."

"You nervous?"

"I dunno. I can't really tell what I'm feeling. I'm definitely not looking forward to facing the Governor again, but I just want this mess to be over with. I think I'm just more impatient that nervous."

Michonne nodded, she could understand the feeling. She couldn't believe how deep that psychopath had gotten under her skin. She was desperate for this to be over with too.

"Are you nervous?" Rhiannon asked her, though she didn't really expect to get an answer from the elusive women. She'd been mysterious since the moment she stepped into the prison, not sharing anything about her life or her time out in the world. They knew nothing other than the fact that she knew Andrea.

Michonne looked down thoughtfully, her brows furrowing as she became lost in thought.

"I'm worried about Andrea." She finally revealed after a long pause. "She's in the belly of the beast, tied up with the man that would give anything to destroy me. I can't imagine this with any kind of happy ending."

Rhiannon frowned, she hadn't had the best relationship with Andrea, she barely considered them to be friends, but that didn't mean this didn't worry her. They weren't friends but she was still a human, someone who was just trying to do their best.

"Andrea's crafty and stubborn as fuck, and that's coming from _me_. I think she could worm her way out of any situation." Rhiannon said, trying her best to give Michonne what little confidence she could, though she wasn't sure it was valuable given how she stayed silent, barely even acknowledging her words.

"Look, I haven't known you for long, but you seem like a pretty tough bitch. If anything goes wrong I'm sure you could ninja your way out of any situation. You seem like the type that would lay your life on the line for someone you care about."

"Why would you say that?" Michonne asked, looking over at Rhiannon curiously.

"You showed up here and faced a bunch of strangers with guns to help them rescue their friends from a cult like town run by a psychopath. And you did that for people you didn't even know. I don't know you, but you saved me, my sister, and my friend, that makes you a good person in my book."

Michonne looked at the woman next to her, her eyes searching hers like she was trying to figure out exactly who she was, but again, she was at a loss. She had trouble pinning the kind of woman Rhiannon was from the start. She could she had a heart of gold but was sarcastic and hard headed and was willing to sacrifice herself for the people she cared about and her - a stranger.

"You saved a stranger too." Michonne started, her gaze averting to her feet. "I never did thank you for that."

"You don't need to thank me."

"You could've just let the Governor take me. I don't mean anything to this group, nowhere near as much as you mean to these people, but you chose to spare my life."

Rhiannon shrugged, feeling quite bashful by her words. "After everything you did for us, I couldn't let this group betray you."

The two women were back to silence, though it was a lot these tense than before. They thought over the words they said and there was suddenly a mutual understanding between them. Despite not really knowing each other, they had a lot of respect for each other.

The moment of peace didn't last long as within minutes the sound of an explosion followed by a rapid firing of gunshots made them both jump in surprise. They shared a knowing look, both of their expressions darkening at the realization.

The Governor was finally here.

Rhiannon tightened her hands on her gun, her knuckles turning white. The next few minutes were agonizing. She could hear the distant sound of the cell block door opening and she grit her teeth. It was disgusting to think of that man walking around where her family lived.

Michonne noticed how woundly tight she was and reached over, placing her hand over Rhiannon's that was clenched tightly.

Rhiannon startled, looking up at the woman in surprise. Michonne gave her a warning look, silently telling her to relax before she let her emotions take over and make a stupid move, something that wouldn't exactly be out of the ordinary for her.

Her tense shoulders relaxed and she nodded in thanks to the woman.

Soon, they could hear footsteps entering the tombs where they hid. Through the door that was cracked open, Rhiannon could see shadows of the people that were invading their home.

She looked back at Michonne, raising a brow, silently questioning if she was ready. The steely glare on the woman's face was answer enough. The two of them, as quietly as possible, grabbed the smoke bombs beside them and pulled the tabs out, throwing them out into the dark hallways.

As soon as the bombs went off and the screams of the people of Woodbury erupted, the alarms sounded. Rhiannon looked up at the flashing lights, a small smile on her face as she thought of where Daryl was.

"Keep moving!"

Rhiannon's blood ran cold, she knew it was _his_ voice. He wasn't going to back down easily, she knew that. But she knew one thing that would always throw him off his rhythm.

She grabbed her gun and moved the door open wider, moving to step out when Michonne's hand on her arm pulled her back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Michonne yelled over the blaring sounds of the alarm and the terrified screams of the Woodbury people.

"Scaring the hell out of him." Rhiannon stated simply, shrugging out of her grip.

With light footsteps, she crawled out of the closet they were hiding in, and started to make her way through the smoke filled hallways.

She walked as carefully as possible, moving to press her back against the wall to keep herself hidden as people ran by the opposite hallway. At least they had the right idea and were getting the hell out of there despite the Governor yelling at them to keep fighting.

With a pounding heart, Rhiannon moved forward, exposing herself to the enemy.

"Philip." She called out, surprised with how strong and even her voice was.

The man down the hall tensed and he turned slowly, his wide eyes burning into hers. He stared at her the way he always did, like he was looking at the ghost of the woman he loved. She could see the softness in his eyes that made him even more twisted than she thought was possible.

He always became unhinged when it came to her. He couldn't see past the similarities between her and his dead wife to think rationally when she was in front of him.

And Rhiannon knew that.

The stricken look on the Governor's face made her smirk in satisfaction. In a sick way, she loved the power she had over him. He had the power to ruin her group, but she could ruin him just as easily.

His mouthed moved, she was guessing a name she couldn't hear, _her_ name.

Rhiannon watched with anticipation as one of the walkers that Rick had let loose on the people of Woodbury came closer to the Governor.

His face twisted in a sneer as his mind finally caught up to him and he realized the woman in front of him wasn't his wife. Before he could even make a move to raise his gun on her, the walker behind him grabbed onto his back.

Rhiannon watched with hopeful eyes, but it quickly became clear that one walker wasn't much of a fight for the Governor. She frowned and moved out of his sight quickly while he was still wrapped up in taking down the walker and the others that came close to him.

She ran back to the closet where Michonne was and as soon as she slid in and closed the door behind her, the woman looked at her with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that?" She hissed over the sounds of the fight going on outside the door.

"Closure." Was all Rhiannon said. It was incredibly satisfying to know that she could get under the man's skin so easily. To be able to shake him up was the best weapon she had against him. She finally had the upper hand.

"Is he dead?"

"Not yet. Should be leaving soon though, the halls are filling up with walkers."

The two women waited with bated breath until it was quiet. Well, as quiet as it could be with the blaring alarm, the growl of walkers, and the sound of gunshots courtesy of Glenn and Maggie running out the invaders.

Soon it was the sound of squealing tires that they heard. They knew the plan was a success.

Michonne and Rhiannon made their way out of their hiding spot, using their guns to take down the walkers in their path. Thankfully, the Governor and his people had taken down the majority of the pack and there wasn't a lot left for them to take care of.

Within seconds, Daryl, Rick, and Carol were rushing out of their hiding spots to join them, helping take down the last remaining walkers.

"C'mon." Rick urged them as the last one had fallen, barely sparing it a passing glance as he moved to rush out of the prison.

"You good?" Daryl asked as they began to jog in tandem.

Rhiannon nodded, a small, relieved smile on her face. "Yeah, you?"

Daryl nodded, looking relaxed despite the situation. They could find their peace together anywhere.

The group of them rushed out to the courtyard and Rhiannon was relieved to see Maggie and Glenn already down from their hiding spot waiting for them. The wide smile on her sister's face was worth all the anxiety this plan had caused.

"We did it. We drove them out." Rick said, though he didn't sound very relieved.

"We should after them, we can't risk them regrouping." Michonne interjected.

"So we take the fight to Woodbury? We barely made it back last time."

Rhiannon felt her stomach twist at Maggie's words, thinking back to that dreaded night. Daryl being Daryl, where nothing ever got past him, noticed immediately the ashen expression on her face and took a step closer to her, his arm brushing against hers in the slightest bit of comfort he could give her in that moment.

"I don't care. We need to finish this." Daryl growled, his fierce protectiveness showing.

He didn't care if it was dangerous, that place had scarred Rhiannon, had left deep emotional wounds he didn't know how to heal. He needed to end this, for her.

Rick nodded in agreement. "Let's check on the others and then we'll make a plan."

Rick lead the way while the rest of them followed. Walking back into the prison felt strange, for the first time Rhiannon didn't feel any apprehension about the place they called home. For the first time she felt secure, that it really could be a place where they could live.

They had certainly fought hard enough for it.

It didn't take long before the rest of the group had arrived. Rhiannon sighed in relief as Beth entered, holding baby Judith in her arms.

She approached with a smile, her hand moving to rest against the baby's head affectionately.

"Everything go ok?" Beth asked, looking around the room as if to look for any damage that had been done.

"It was fine. But the fight's not over yet."

Beth's face fell and she looked up at Rhiannon with worried eyes as she realized the implication of her words.

"You're going to Woodbury?"

"Nah, she's stayin' right here." Daryl interjected, surprising both the women as he suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere. He gave Rhiannon a look filled with so much attitude that it could've rivalled hers.

"I guess that's fair." Rhiannon conceded, not feeling as annoyed by him as she would've expected. She could understand why he wanted her sitting this one out. And if she was being honest with herself she had no desire to go back to that town where she'd had one of the worst nights of her life.

"You guess?"

Rhiannon turned to face Daryl, her eyes narrowing at how sassy he was being, something that only used to be her job. "Don't push it, Dixon."

Beth smiled at the couple in front of her, watching as they bickered like an old married couple. She was glad a lot of the tension from yesterday had been resolved. She couldn't stand how Maggie was so hell bent on punishing their older sister for trying to protect them.

Beth knew she was just trying to help, and she could tell Rhiannon felt like she still needed to make up for how she'd practically abandoned them all those years ago.

If anything, Beth was sad, not angry.

* * *

Rhiannon placed the last bag of ammo in the backseat, slamming the door shut behind her. She blew out a long breath, knowing it was finally time for that dreaded moment she saw the man she loved off to a fight, something she had been trying to avoid, hence the sacrificing fiasco the day before.

With dragging feet like an annoyed child, she moved around the car to where Daryl was already sat on his bike, fiddling with his crossbow.

"Be careful out there." She spoke up, catching his attention.

His expression softened as he looked over at her and he reached his hand out to grab hers, pulling her closer to him. His hands moved to her waist and he smiled up at her lightly.

"You know me, I'm always careful."

"Right." She drawled sarcastically.

"Look out for Merle, alright?"

"Do you mean 'look out for Merle' or ' _look out for Merle_ '?"

Daryl rolled his eyes, smirking lightly. "I mean make sure he doesn't get himself shot by Glenn or Maggie… or you."

"I saved his life, why would I bother if I was just gonna kill him the next day?"

"It's Merle, give him time. He'll push you to it sooner or later."

Rhiannon smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best to make sure he stays out of trouble."

Daryl looked up at her, his eyes showing just how head over heels he was with the woman in front of him. The woman who was willing to put up with his asshole brother. She truly was one of a kind.

"Love you." He said quietly, feeling slightly overwhelmed that he was saying it out in the open where anyone could hear.

"Love you too." She said with a smile. "Come back soon."

He nodded, giving her waist one last squeeze before he let go of her. She took a step back, watching with worried eyes as he slowly drove his bike up to the gates.

She turned and saw Michonne about to get into the passenger seat. Rhiannon gave her a small smile.

"Good luck out there."

Michonne nodded, looking a little awkward by her words. She hadn't really expected a farewell from anyone, but Rhiannon had been the one to fight for her to stay since the beginning. It probably made sense that she was the one to say the only 'good luck' to her too.

Rhiannon was about to walk towards the gates when Rick called out to her. She turned, seeing him making his way toward her, his body rigid and his face drawn tightly.

"Can you do me a favour while we're gone?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Rick hesitated slightly, placing his hands on his hips. "Could you talk to Carl? You're probably the only person he listens to."

"No offense, but I don't really feel like getting my ass handed to me by your kid." Rhiannon responded, though she knew she'd have to have a talk with Carl sooner or later.

She felt terrible for making him upset yesterday but with the way he was acting out on everyone made it difficult to approach him with an apology he wasn't likely to listen to.

"He killed a kid today."

Rhiannon's jaw dropped and she stared at Rick with wide eyes, stunned to silence.

"Your dad just told me. The kid was surrendering and Carl killed him. Said he did it to protect us."

Rhiannon stayed silent, taking in Rick's words with difficulty. She couldn't imagine the sweet, innocent little kid she knew being so cold hearted.

"And you want _me_ to talk to him?"

"I tried and he didn't listen. He looks up to you in a way he doesn't for me. There's some things I can get through to him just cause I'm his dad. I need your help with this." Rick tried to reason with her.

Rhiannon felt like this was above her pay grade but the desperate look in his eyes made her reconsider. She needed to help her friend.

"Ok, I'll talk to him. But I can't make any promises, he's pretty pissed at me."

Rick sighed in relief and brought her in for a tight hug. Rhiannon smiled sadly, the poor guy really needed a break.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

"Of course. Be safe out there."

Rick nodded and slowly walked to the car as if it was physically hard for him to leave.

Rhiannon exhaled loudly, already feeling stressed out and she hadn't even talked to the kid yet. She made her way to the gates, grabbed her sword from the sheath across her back. A lot of the walkers that filed the yard had been taken care by the Woodbury people but there were still some stragglers.

She pushed her weapon through the chain link fence, taking down a walker that was clawing to get through to them.

"Ready?" She asked, looking at Daryl from over her shoulder.

He nodded and she smiled softly, hoping it was enough to reassure him that things would be ok. She knew it was difficult for them to be separated, even if it was for their own good.

Giving a look to Glenn that signalled they were ready to go, she raised her sword, swinging at a walker the second the gate had been opened.

Stepping back quickly so the others could leave, she watched them go with a heavy heart, her grip on her weapon tightening unintentionally with worry.

"They'll be ok." Beth told her, catching her sister's attention as she stood next to her. "This will be over soon."

"I hope so." Rhiannon muttered, wishing these past few hellish weeks could've just been a horrible nightmare.

* * *

When she walked back into the prison, she couldn't spot Carl. He wasn't holding Judith or fawning over her makeshift crib like she expected him to be.

She looked down at the baby, brushing the pad of her finger over her chubby cheek, smiling softly as she watched her sleep softly.

 _I'll make this right,_ she silently promised the baby. She knew the little one needed her big brother, she already didn't have her mother.

Rhiannon stepped into the cell block, looking into the cell Carl had been staying in but it was empty, his stuff hadn't been put back either.

She sighed in annoyance, running a hand through her messy hair. _Where the hell could he be?_

Suddenly, it clicked. She had an idea of where he was hiding out.

Her face turned down into a frown and she made her way out of the cellblock, trying to be as quiet as possible, as though not to scare him off, as she made her way to the catwalk. The place she'd taken him after Lori had passed. They has spent hours up there, doing nothing in particular, but she knew it had been good for him to get away from everybody to process his grief.

She saw Carl sitting alone, his head bowed so low his hat fully covered his face from her view. She moved to sit on the ground next to him and he didn't so much as look over at her. He didn't acknowledge her presence at all.

"You know what this is about right, I don't have to go through the whole teacher spiel?" She started, not really knowing how she should approach this.

"My dad tell you?"

"Yeah, he's worried about you. I am too."

"Don't bother."

"Carl, don't be so dramatic." Rhiannon scolded half heartedly. "I get that your a teenager now, but turning into an asshole isn't mandatory."

He didn't even crack a smile at her attempt at humour. He just kept staring out into the courtyard, ignoring her as best he could.

"You took a life today, that's a big thing to go through."

"I did what I had to do."

"I know. You thought that was you doing your job to protect us."

Carl finally looked over at her, his brows furrowed in confusion at her admission. "You're not gonna yell at me?"

"Why would I yell at you? You killed someone, I'm sure whatever's going on in your head in punishment enough."

He looked startled, like she'd just read his mind. He didn't know how she knew that he was feeling incredibly disheartened and honestly, scared out of his mind at the fact that he'd taken a life.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was the same way." Rhiannon answered simply. "The first person I killed, that guy in the store that attacked us, that was self defense. I stopped him from doing something horrible but that didn't stop me from feeling like shit."

"I still think I did what I had to do."

"Ok, I'm not gonna argue with you about what you feel."

"Your dad and my dad think it was wrong." He mumbled sadly, looking down at his lap in shame. "They said I didn't have to kill him."

"So why do _you_ think you had to?"

Carl was slightly taken aback by her question. It wasn't often people came to him to ask questions about heavy stuff like this. They usually shied away from involving him in the nitty gritty details of this world. But never Rhiannon. She always treated him like an equal and that's why he loved spending time with her.

"We've given too many chances and they've all blown up in our faces. People would still be alive if we didn't give chances."

Rhiannon stomach dropped. He was talking about Lori and that horrible day that asshole prisoner had come back to mess with them.

She understood why he did what he did. Hell, she was ready to get _herself_ killed to protect her family.

"I agree, to an extent. But we have to be careful, you're walking a dangerously thin line."

Carl nodded and Rhiannon felt something inside her tense with sadness as she watched him fiddle with his fingers, looking so defeated.

"You realize why they're worried, right?"

He nodded again and his silence made Rhiannon sigh, feeling useless, like she wasn't getting through to him.

"The people you kill, they stick with you, they can haunt you. It can make you feel like the scum of the earth, no matter if they deserved it or not. You are too good for this world and you're too good to be plagued with that horrible feeling."

Carl looked up at her and, like always, his puppy dog eyes made her melt. She smiled slightly and put her arm over his shoulders, bringing him into her side for a hug that he returned without a second thought.

"Your dad loves you and that's why he's worried. It's his job to annoy you and worry about every decision you make. Trust me, you're not the only one that's been through this." She explained to him

"Your dad grilled you about killing someone too?" He asked sarcastically, knowing he was experiencing a very different childhood from hers.

Rhiannon laughed and nudged him gently. "You're getting sassy."

"Yeah, I've been living with you for over a year, what'd you expect to happen?"

That made Rhiannon laugh even harder, which made Carl smile.

After a stretch of comfortable silence, Carl pulled away from her sightly, not moving far away enough that her arm left his shoulders.

"I'm still mad at you for yesterday." He told her, though there wasn't a malicious tone to his voice.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I was being selfish. Can't believe I ever thought I could leave you."

Carl blushed and he looked at her in exasperation, muttering a half hearted 'stop', though he was smiling, which let her know he wasn't angry at her teasing.

"Seriously though, that won't be happening again. We're all part of a group and we make decisions as a group, which you're part of. I won't be taking off again, not unless you're with me."

"Really?" He perked up, looking up at her hopefully.

"Why not? You've already been a few runs, what's a few more?"

Carl smiled widely. "You're the best." He said casually, as if that statement was as easy as saying 'hello'.

He had no idea just how much those words affected Rhiannon and touched her deeply. She didn't understand why Carl looked up to her the way he did. She still thought it had something to do with the fact that she had a sword more than anything, but she wasn't complaining.

She loved the kid like he was her own brother.

"We should get back, I'm sure Judith misses you."

Carl smiled and nodded, both of them getting up from their uncomfortable positions on the hard ground.

"Hey, Rhi?" He stopped her before they could walk back into the prison. "Did you really save Merle?"

"I did."

"Why? He kidnapped you."

"People can change." She shrugged, not really having an explanation for it herself.

"But...Merle? Really?"

She laughed at his disbelief. "Give him time. He may be annoying and we'll probably have to tape his mouth shut every once in a while, but he's a good person to have on our side. He'll show it one of these days."

"I guess." He mumbled and Rhiannon was amused at the prospect of Carl and Merle eventually facing off. She'd pay to see that.

Once the two of them stepped back into the prison, they were both much more relaxed than before.

The others were busy putting their things back in their cells. It was easier to sleep in the cell when it was personalized rather than just being surrounded by bleak, bare walls. Rhiannon was glad that things were starting to get back to normal and that they were continuing to make this place home.

She took some time to bring her and Daryl's bags into the cell they'd picked for themselves. She placed the books she acquired over the past few months on the one lone shelf on the wall and hung up the sweater that Daryl had picked out for himself, but at this point, really belonged to Rhiannon.

She sighed heavily. There wasn't much she could do to make this place more of a home. It wasn't comfortable to live in unless Daryl was in there with her. He was the one that made it a home, not any of the material possessions that she put up.

When she was done she walked back down to the main room where the other were. Things were tense, it was hard to stay back while the others were out on what they could only assume would end up in a fight. She hated staying behind.

She noticed Maggie and Glenn sitting next to each other and she suddenly felt nervous. She knew there was unfinished business between her and her sister, but she was very reluctant to address it. She didn't want it to end up in a fight, she'd already had a pretty stressful day, but she wanted this divide between them to be over with.

She approached the table slowly and sat herself down across from the happy couple, plastering on a plastic smile she was sure wasn't fooling anybody.

"Hey." Maggie smiled brightly at her, which effectively calmed her nerves. Rhiannon was just glad the tension from yesterday was gone.

Rhiannon was about to respond with an equally happy greeting when she noticed the shining diamond on her sister's finger. Her eyes widened and her hand shot out, grabbing onto her hand and pulling it towards her, making Maggie let out a sound of surprise at the movements.

"Oh my fucking god." She mumbled, staring at the ring in shock. "He finally did it."

"You knew?" Maggie asked with a big smile on her face as he looked between her sister and her new husband.

"Yeah, he was nervous wreck and needed some advice. When did this happen?"

"Yesterday." Maggie answered, her voice quiet as the mood between them shifted to slightly awkward territory.

"Oh." Rhiannon mumbled, her shoulders sagging slightly.

"Hey, don't do that." Glenn spoke up, feeling the tension that suddenly surrounded them. He didn't blame her for what happened yesterday, he understood her motives and he wasn't going to fault her for trying to keep them safe, no matter how broken up he would be if they had lost her.

"Rhi, what you said yesterday, about me making you feel like you didn't belong, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that." Maggie started slowly.

Rhiannon frowned and shook her head. "I don't want you to feel guilty, that wasn't why I said it."

"But I do. I didn't realize how much I kept bringing up the past. I know things are different now, I know _you're_ different. I think I was just still so hurt about the past and I haven't gotten over the fact that you've missed so much of our lives that I just immediately go back to that everytime something happens with us."

Rhiannon nodded, not having anything to say to her sister's words.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't keep bringing that up. I know you feel bad about it and I'm not helping at all."

"I'm sorry too." Rhiannon started, trying hard to keep her emotions in check as she heard the apology she'd been wanting to hear for so long. "I shouldn't have been so selfish to think I could solve this on my own. I couldn't ever live without you and it was stupid to think I could let you guys go through the same."

"We gotta stop apologizing to each other all the time."

Rhiannon nodded, a tired smile on her tired face. "I have to stop being such a bitch."

Maggie laughed slightly. "You and me both."

"You're not that bad. I mean, you grew up watching me, It'd be almost unnatural if you weren't at least a little bitchy."

Maggie smiled and reached over, grabbing her sister's hand in hers, squeezing tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rhiannon smiled, feeling as if a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. "And I love you." She said to Glenn teasingly, making him laugh.

"I love you too." He responded wistfully.

So…" She started, giving a teasing smile to the couple in front of her. "Are you guys gonna have an official ceremony?"

"I don't know if that's possible." Glenn said, reaching over to hold Maggie's hand.

"I'm sure we could put something together. We have to celebrate, we can't let our lives go dull just because there's dead people walking around."

Maggie furrowed her brows. "I think that'd be the only rational reason for our lives to go dull."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, mumbling a 'whatever'.

Soon, Carol, Hershel, Beth and Carl with baby Judith in his arms joined them at the table, handing out bowls of whatever canned food that Carol had cooked up for them.

Rhiannon was about to start eating when she noticed Merle sitting by himself at the other table, a scowl on his face and his foot tapping against the floor nervously. She knew he was worried about Daryl. It was sweet how scared he was for his little brother.

It blew her mind that she had just used the word 'sweet' to describe Merle Dixon. She'd have to remember to tell Daryl, he'll be so embarrassed. She could just picture that deer in headlights look on his face when she tells him.

"Merle," She called out, catching his attention. She motioned to the empty spot at the table, silently inviting him over.

He shook his head and looked down, his foot resuming it's anxious tapping.

"There's plenty of room." Carol spoke up, surprising the everyone in the room.

There was a tense moment of silence as Merle stared at the group of people in front of him. He contemplated just going to his cell to be alone, but he remembered what Daryl had told him, he needed to start putting in an effort if this was going to work. It was clear the others were at least trying to integrate him.

Well, some of them. He knew Maggie and Glenn would need more convincing.

He sighed and stood from his spot, slowly making his way to the other table. He practically threw himself down into the seat and kept his eyes down as he continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

Rhiannon watched him, a confused smile on her face. She didn't know what to think of him, but she would get there, hopefully.

There was idle conversation that happened as they ate, creating a sense of comfort that made everyone realize this place really was their home.

Rhiannon shared a smile with Beth who sat next to her. Having everyone together made it possible for her not to be constantly worrying about Daryl, Rick and Michonne.

While it was nice for awhile, they couldn't keep pretending that things were calm and they weren't able to keep slacking off like they were.

Rhiannon grabbed her sword and made her way out to the courtyard. One of the guard towers had been destroyed during the attack and the thought of being a sitting duck in the other one freaked her out. She doubted there would be another counter attack, but she was too paranoid to take her chances.

She sat herself down on the picnic table that let her see out into the field. She didn't know how they were going to repair the fence. She was sure they'd think of something, but it would be a lot of work, she didn't know the first thing about construction so she doubted she'd be much help there.

Rhiannon zipped up her coat higher, feeling a cold chill in the air. It was well after dark and she was starting to get antsy. They should be back by now.

She only had to worry for another twenty minutes because she soon heard the familiar rumble of a motorcycle.

She jumped off the table and ran to the gate, unlocking the chain as fast as she could. A wide smile broke out on her face when she saw the man of her affection driving through the ruined gates.

She sighed in relief, he was ok and she could finally breathe again.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the school bus that followed behind the car Rick and Michonne had taken. She opened the gate and let all three vehicles move in.

As soon as the gate was closed behind them with the chain latched in place, Rhiannon rushed over towards Daryl.

He had just barely gotten off his bike when a weight was thrown against him, almost knocking him over.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her as she was already holding him tightly.

"Miss me, darlin'?"

"Not at all, can't you tell?" Rhiannon mumbled against the crook of his neck, a teasing smile on her face.

She pulled away and pressed a kiss to his lips and was pleasantly surprised that he actually reciprocated given that they were in the open where anyone could see them.

Daryl smiled against her lips and eventually pulled away, letting his forehead rest against hers.

Rhiannon, though she was relieved to see he was ok, couldn't ignore the huge bus of people that pulled up to their gates any longer.

"What's with the bus?"

"People from Woodbury. We're takin' them in."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked at Daryl incredulously. "We're gonna live with the people that tried to kill us?"

"Nah, the people that came today, the Governor killed them all. He took off and left a bunch of kids and old people on their own."

Her stomach twisted as she thought of how many people the Governor had gunned down and she was happy to hear that he took off, but she was still unsettled. He wasn't dead and that wasn't good enough for her.

Daryl noticed her expression and reached out, his hand reaching up to her cheek, his thumb brushing against her jaw.

"I'm gonna keep lookin'. Ain't lettin' him get away." He assured her, his fierce protectiveness shining through his words.

"That doesn't make me feel any better. I don't want you anywhere near him."

Daryl didn't say anything. Nothing she said would change his mind about this.

"Is everyone ok?" She asked, knowing it would be better to change the subject before their dispute could continue any further.

Daryl frowned, his shoulders tensing. "We lost Andrea."

Rhiannon's face fell and she turned her head, her eyes searching for the woman her heart was aching for. When she was Michonne helping Rick with a wrapped body that had been gently placed in the boot of the truck, her breathing stuttered.

To know that Andrea had been trying to keep peace and had ultimately paid the price for it was heartbreaking. No one could last in this world with being peaceful, it was a harsh reality she wasn't quite ready to come to terms with.

"C'mon, let's go help." Daryl told her, sensing that she didn't want to talk about yet another loss.

He knew Rhiannon and Andrea didn't get along very well, but the sadness on her face was clear as day and it made his stomach twist. He would do anything to never see that expression on her face ever again.

Rhiannon nodded and together they made their way to where Rick and Michonne were. She figured the mysterious woman wouldn't care for much attention, but Rhiannon had to at least give her arm a comforting squeeze as she passed her.

Michonne looked up in surprise at the gesture and her watery eyes met Rhiannon's. When she noticed it was her, her face softened and she gave the other woman a barely noticeable and weak smile in thanks.

"You ready? We got a lot of people we gotta sort out." Rick told her after giving her a warm smile at seeing she was ok in their absence.

"Is there enough room for everyone?"

"We'll make sure there is."

With that simple statement, Rhiannon felt like the old Rick Grimes was back. He had been through hell and back since finding this prison, but he was still that caring leader they needed.

She nodded and with a passing smile to Daryl, she got to work, guiding the new group members into their new home.

* * *

Rhiannon sighed heavily, falling back on the small mattress in her cell. It had been an excruciatingly long day and she couldn't wait for it to be over.

Clearing out a space for the Woodbury people had been more time consuming that she thought. She was still weary about having them here, but she figured she'd lighten up in a few days. It was just the initial suspicions she had that she couldn't get past at first glance.

She lazily untied her shoes and unhooked her bra, pulling it through the sleeves of her shirt. With a yawn she flopped back onto the mattress ungracefully. She was seconds away from falling asleep, but there was something that kept her tethered to consciousness.

She was worried that she'd be spending the night alone again.

The night before when Daryl had been mad at her was the longest night of her life. It didn't feel right to be in that bed alone, she hated it.

It was with an aching heart that she turned over, pulling the blanket over her, and stared at the wall beside her blankly.

She despised this feeling. She'd thought Daryl had forgiven her, but she guessed she'd been wrong.

It was unclear how much time had passed. She'd been tossing and turning the entire time, feeling completely uncomfortable without the heavy weight of Daryl's arm over her waist or his heavy breathing on the back of her neck.

She never thought she'd be this lousy just from sleeping alone.

She was about to drift off for a night of fitful sleep when the sound of shuffling feet broke her out of her daze.

With bleary eyes, she turned over, blinking tiredly to get her gaze to focus. Her heart jumped when she saw Daryl taking his beloved vest off, his shirt following soon after.

"Hey." She said tiredly, giving him a small smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." He said quietly.

She just shook her head, the smile never leaving her face as he laid himself next to her. Almost instantly, he laid his arm over her waist, pulling her in closer to him and she could have cried in relief.

She nuzzled against him making him let out a tired sounding laugh.

"Thank you for forgiving me." She whispered, feeling thankful that her stupid move hadn't resulted in an epic fight.

"Don't gotta thank me. I'd be an idiot to think I could hold a grudge on you."

Daryl pressed a kiss to her forehead and tightened his grip on her. "Glad you're here." He whispered, his voice getting heavy as he got closer to sleep.

Rhiannon smiled. "Glad you're here too."

Within seconds, she could hear his breathing even out as he let sleep take him over. Rhiannon sighed and felt herself relaxing as she let herself fall asleep in his arms.

* * *

 **That's a wrap on season 3!**

 **There will be some original stuff before we get to season 4, so I hope you guys will enjoy that!**

 **Hope you liked this chapter! xx**


	55. Chapter 55

The prison felt like a different place. It wasn't eerily quiet and still anymore. There always seemed to be people around and the sound of chit chat was never too far.

Rhiannon's head swiveled in each direction as she walked, seeing a new face everywhere she looked. A few people that recognized her from helping them get settled in the night before sent her smiles and a 'good morning' as she passed, making her smile awkwardly and wave in response.

She thought it was stupid of them to be so warm and trusting with her just after a few hours, but she couldn't fault them for trying to be friendly in this new, intimidating place.

"Hey, it's Rhiannon, right?"

She turned abruptly and looked at the woman who stood in front of her and was smiling nervously. She recognized her and immediately felt more awkward than before. It was hard to forget the people that Rick had run out of the prison during his grief fueled spiral.

"Yeah. You're...Sasha?"

The woman smiled, nodding slightly. "I just wanted to say thank you...for this. We'd be stranded if your group didn't let us in."

"It's no problem. Besides, we owed you after what happened last time." Rhiannon said quietly. She didn't know how to say sorry for something like that.

"Don't worry about that, I get it."

Rhiannon nodded, thankful that Sasha was understanding enough to not make this awkward.

"Anyways, I just wanted to say, whatever you guys need don't hesitate to ask. My brother and I are more than willing to start pulling our weight here."

"Thanks." Rhiannon said quietly. Sasha gave her a smile and made her exit, leaving Rhiannon to stand there uncomfortably, wondering just what she was in for with all these new people. She was just glad they seemed like good people. Some of them were a little naive, but good nonetheless.

"You look lost."

Rhiannon turned on her heel and sighed in relief when she saw Carol smiling at her. "Thank god." She mumbled, beelining over to her so she wasn't standing in the sea of people she didn't know. "It feels like the first day of school when you're forced to talk to strangers. I hate it"

"Don't be so negative." Carol scolded light heartedly. "What was it you told your dad to convince him to let us stay on the farm? There's safety in numbers? This could be good for us."

"Don't use my own logic against me."

Carol laughed and handed her a bowl of oatmeal, the portion significantly smaller than usual now that they had to share with twenty other people.

"What are you so uncomfortable with? These people seem to like you."

Rhiannon shrugged. "Never really been comfortable with new people."

"You were comfortable with us."

"That was different. You guys tried, you didn't make me feel like I had to prove anything. It was just easier with you."

"And you were in love with our hunter. I'm sure that made it easier."

Rhiannon looked at her Carol, her lips parted in surprise and she rolled her eyes. "You know all this teasing is getting old."

"Not for me." Carol sang happily, a wide smile on her face.

Rhiannon shook her head and finished her meal within a couple of bites, trying to ignore her still growling stomach as she handed the bowl back.

"Speaking of, have you seen Daryl around?"

"Saw him go outside with Rick. Think they were talking about a run."

"Right." Rhiannon mumbled, looking around at the crowds of people again. They'd have to go on a lot more runs now that they had a whole town to look after.

"What's with the frown, thought you didn't mind going on runs." Carol asked, her face turning serious.

"I don't. It's just weird to think that these people's lives depend on us. I don't want that kind of responsibility."

Carol frowned, her mind swirling, trying to figure out how she could help. She hadn't been expecting that answer. She didn't know what to say to her, she wasn't exactly thrilled about the new arrangement either.

"I should go find Daryl." Rhiannon said, turning on her heel to leave before Carol could offer any words of comfort.

A loud sigh left her lips as she stepped outside, the sudden change in volume more peaceful than she would've thought.

She spotted Daryl standing with Rick and Glenn and she smiled at the sight of him.

"Hey," She called out as she approached them. Daryl looked over at her and his usual passive face softened and he smiled lightly as she took her place next to him.

"Morning. You good to go on a run today? We're stretched pretty thin." Rick asked.

"'Course. When are we heading out?"

"Soon as possible. We're already down to our last rations."

"Sounds good. Who's going?"

"You, me, Maggie, Glenn, n' Michonne." Daryl answered.

Rhiannon nodded. "Alright, I'll get my stuff." She looked over at Daryl, giving him a brief smile as she left.

Daryl's head turned as he watched her walk away, his eyes trailing down her form in a less than gentlemanly way. He hated that they were so tired last night and that he had to be up early this morning, they hadn't had any alone time since the day she left for that damn suicide mission. He was dying to be with her, to hold her close and feel her soft skin, it was the only way he could truly relax.

"So I'm guessing you two are ok." Rick teased, smirking wickedly making Daryl's face turn down into a scowl.

"Shut up." He mumbled.

"Should we be plannin' for _two_ weddings?"

Daryl's face paled and Rick shared a knowing look with Glenn who was eyeing the hunter wearily, like he was worried he'd snap. He was closer with Daryl than he used to be but that doesn't mean he was comfortable with pushing his buttons.

"Uhh…" Was all that left Daryl's mouth. The idea of marriage terrified him. He was still shocked that Rhiannon wanted him as her boyfriend, but husband? That was too much pressure. It was already disheartening to think about disappointing the woman he loved and the thought of disappointed her as his wife was downright terrifying.

"Alright, don't hurt yourself." Rick laughed, sensing his discomfort.

Daryl cleared his throat, he could still feel his face burning with a mighty blush. "You ready to go?" He asked Glenn, hoping they could just skate by his embarrassment.

Thankfully, he knew Glenn was still intimidated by him and wouldn't keep teasing him the way he knew Rick would.

It didn't take long for the others to get rounded up. Daryl sat on his bike, watching as Maggie and Michonne stepped into the truck, while Rhiannon walked towards him.

He blushed again, feeling flustered as she took her spot behind him, her arms winding around his waist tightly.

"Ready?" She asked, her lips close to his ears.

He had to fight back a shiver and he nodded. He couldn't stop Rick's words from rolling around his head and he suddenly felt himself sweating nervously and his panic beginning to rise.

He forced the thought of marriage out of his mind before he descended into a full blown panic attack and started up the bike.

"Are you ok?" Rhiannon asked, feeling him tense as stone in front of her. That wasn't like him, he was always so relaxed on his bike, especially with her holding onto him.

Daryl perked up, realizing how transparent he was being. He turned to look over his shoulder at her. "'M fine."

Before she could question him further, he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He pulled away, a lazy smile on his face when he saw the look of surprise on her face.

"Ready?"

Rhiannon nodded and tightened her grip on him, laying her head to rest against his back as he started to drive out of the prison field.

* * *

Rhiannon yawned, wondering how long it would be until she passed out right where she sat. She was guessing not long.

Her eyes closed and her head began to slip from where it was held up by her hand, but the rich sound of a small laugh that she loved to hear had her eyes fluttering open.

"You gonna make it?" Daryl asked with a smirk, setting down a plate of food in front of her as he took a seat next to her, not hesitating to dig in.

"No." She mumbled and she began to lazily poke at her food.

The last two weeks had passed quickly and they were no less busy. When Daryl wasn't helping fix the fence, he was out hunting. When Rhiannon wasn't helping Rick set up crops, she was going on runs. They had barely talked to each other.

"How'd it go today?" She asked tiredly.

"Fine. Fence is good as new." He answered. He looked at her, smiling lightly at how cute her sleepy motions were. "You goin' on the run tomorrow?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah, think It'd be wrong if I wasn't."

"He isn't your responsibility." Rhiannon told him but he just shook his head in response.

Merle's shoulder had healed and he was insisting on going on runs with them. Sitting in a car with Merle, Glenn and Maggie was her worst nightmare. In a way she was glad Daryl was coming so she didn't have to suffer alone, but she knew if Merle acted out in any way, Daryl would take it to heart.

"Gotta make sure he doesn't get himself cuffed to a roof again."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she nodded uncomfortably.

"Right." She mumbled.

She stiffened suddenly, her terse expression only growing as Merle took a seat across from them. They hadn't spoken much since they both saved each other's lives and they didn't exactly know where they stood with each other.

"Jesus, you look rough." He told her.

Daryl's motions stopped, his fork hovering above his food as he glared at his brother so intensely it was surprising he didn't spontaneously combust.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you get three hours of sleep a night and wear no makeup." Rhiannon snarled back. "And who the hell are you to make a comment about the way I look? Have you looked in a mirror lately? What's your excuse?"

Daryl snickered and when Merle looked to him, as if to ask if he was going to say anything in his defense, he just shrugged. "She ain't wrong."

"Have you talked to Maggie and Glenn yet?" Rhiannon asked before Merle could retaliate and start an entire fight based on his petty comments.

Merle just scoffed and rolled his eyes, his attention moving to the food in front of him.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Rhiannon asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Merle, don't be an asshole about this, just apologize."

"Even if I do they ain't gonna forgive me. I beat that kid to a pulp and let his girl get touched by that pervert. He ain't gonna listen."

The tone of his voice had Rhiannon thoroughly surprised. He sounded guilty and for the first time she saw remorse for what he'd done in Woodbury.

Even Daryl was looking over at his brother curiously. He'd never heard his brother sound so sincere, it was actually a little unsettling.

"Well there's no harm in trying." Rhiannon told him, trying to gently nudge him in the right direction without being too obvious about what she was doing.

Merle scoffed again and he moved to stand up.

"Merle, I'm serious, you can't keep pretending this didn't happen. We can't live like this, there's enough stress outside the fences, I don't wanna deal with it in here."

Daryl sat back, his eyes moving from his brother to his girl. He could sense a fight coming and he knew the both of them were so fiesty, he didn't know who was going to win.

"Why don't you keep your nose outta my business." He snarled.

He started to walk away when he was stopped by a pull on the back of his shirt. "What the fuck?" He yelled, turning to face Rhiannon who was now standing on her chair so she could be eye level with him.

The room went quiet at the commotion and the others watched in confusion at the sight of a woman standing on her chair, holding onto an angry redneck with one hand.

Daryl's eyes widened and he had to put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile despite the tense situation. He looked up at Rhiannon with shining eyes. God, he loved her.

"The second you put your hands on my sister you made it my business. I swear Merle, if you don't fix this shit I _will_ shoot you. I don't care about you the way I care about Maggie and Glenn and I will always take their sides. And I know you feel guilty so why the fuck are you still punishing yourself? You're such a child, just say the fucking words and mean it!"

"How the fuck are you gonna make me mean it?" Merle asked, feeling very embarrassed at the fact that everyone was watching him get his ass verbally kicked.

"I have a sword, I'll find a way." She threatened darkly.

Merle stared back at her, his eyes searching hers, trying to catch her bluff, but he found none. She was completely serious.

He looked around and flushed as he met many pairs of eyes staring back at him. He huffed angrily and stomped into the cellblock without another word.

Rhiannon exhaled loudly, blowing a strand of her short hair away from her face. She jumped off the chair and sat back down, returning back to the food in front of her as if nothing had happened.

Daryl placed his arm over her shoulders, an amused smile on his face as he leaned in closer to her. "Is it bad that that turned me on?" He mumbled, his eyes staring into hers intensely.

Rhiannon felt butterflies in her stomach at the heat in his gaze and she bit her lip to keep from smiling like an idiot. "Nope."

Daryl leaned closer, wanting nothing more than to hoist her over his shoulder and carry her to their cell and have his way with her, something he hadn't been able to do since they brought in everyone from Woodbury.

"Daryl, I need your help out here." Rick called out from the doorway, stopping the couple from going any further.

Daryl sighed, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "I'll see you later." He told her and with one last look of longing he was out of his seat and following Rick outside.

Rhiannon watched him go with a frown, feeling more frustrated than she could ever remember being. From across the room she met Maggie's eyes who smiled at her gratefully, having heard her entire speech to Merle.

She mouthed a 'thank you' and Rhiannon smiled in response. She knew it would be tough trying to keep the peace between them and Merle but she knew it would be worth it. No matter how hard it would be, she knew she needed to do it.

Rhiannon tapped her fingers against the table in annoyance... or sexual frustration. It was probably both.

She stayed frustrated the whole night. Daryl still wasn't back when she made her way to their cell for the night. She was hoping they could finally spend some time together, but she was exhausted from the busy day, she didn't know if she could stay up any longer.

By the time Daryl had finally finished his job it was well past dark. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired face and he stomped up the stairs to his cell, his feet dragging sluggishly.

He was beyond exhausted but the thought of Rhiannon waiting for him in their bed had him suddenly feeling energized.

He felt his stomach flutter as his mind flashed with images of her, his body starting to feel hot. He pushed the sheet away and stepped into the cell, fully expecting the vixen he loved to be waiting to tease him, but what he saw made him simultaneously sigh in annoyance and smile in adoration.

Rhiannon was fast asleep, her legs spread like a starfish, as usual. Daryl couldn't take his eyes off her as he stripped his vest and shirt off, his boots following soon after.

He pulled the blanket back and moved her leg as gently as possible to make room for him. She mumbled quietly and snuggled in closer to him, her leg now resting over his waist while her head laid on his chest.

Daryl smiled lightly, his hand moving to comb through her hair. This was what he worked for. All those days doing back breaking work from sun up to sun down, she was why he did it and why he never complained.

* * *

Rhiannon was waiting by the car, her foot tapping anxiously as she waited for the Dixon brothers. She knew Daryl had wanted to give Merle a talking to before they left, but she doubted it had any real weight. Merle was Merle and he was going to do what he wanted to do.

Glenn and Maggie approached her with a smile, but she could see the stress and worry in their eyes.

"He's not gonna do anything." Rhiannon said immediately, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

Glenn sighed heavily, clearly not believing a word. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but this is Merle Dixon, Daryl can't even control him."

"Glenn, two weeks ago he took a bullet for me and saved my life. Would you have ever thought he'd be capable of that? I think he could surprise us." Rhiannon tried to reason with him but he just shook his head.

"And he beat the shit outta me. He can't just undo that."

"Well to be fair, you guys did abandon him in a walker infested city."

Glenn's eyes widened and he looked ready to argue, but Rhiannon held her hand up. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm not saying what he did was justified, I just think it's stupid to hold grudges. You guys left him, he beat you up. He got shot and he only has one hand, I say that evens out the odds."

"Why the hell are you defending him?" Glenn asked angrily, hating that what she said actually made sense.

"Because he's Daryl's brother and...I feel bad for him. They didn't have a good childhood, he was doomed from the start."

"That doesn't mean he gets to be an asshole without consequence."

"I know!" Rhiannon yelled, starting to get annoyed that this conversation wasn't going anywhere. "I'm not saying we should just give him a free pass, I think we should just let go of the past. I'm still pissed at him too but we can't change what happened. He's here now and that won't change."

Maggie watched silently, looking at Glenn worriedly. She didn't want her husband and her sister to fight, but she knew how angry he still was that he had to live with Merle after what he did.

Daryl and Merle came out of the prison, the both of them walking towards them, signalling the end of the conversation.

It was unbearably uncomfortable as everyone got into the car. Daryl would've preferred to take the bike but he couldn't just let Rhiannon suffer with Merle alone, or worse, leave him alone with Maggie and Glenn.

Glenn drove with Maggie in the passenger seat which left the others to sit in the backseat, Rhiannon getting squished in between the Dixon brothers.

Daryl had to stifle a smile at how annoyed she looked sitting there with her arms crossed over her chest, like a child who didn't get their way. She looked over at him, feeling his gaze on her and she gave him a look of impatience at the amusement she saw.

She nudged him with her elbow and scowled at him when she noticed it had only made him smile wider at her expense.

It was silent as they drove and it was probably the most uncomfortable moment in her life. Not even when she fell on stage during her dance recital when she was ten years old did she feel this unsettled.

Thankfully, the drive from hell didn't take too long and within ten minutes they arrived at the store.

Rhiannon practically sprung out of the car, almost crawling over Daryl's lap to get away from the stifling tension.

It was still awkwardly quiet as Daryl set to picking the lock on the small convenience store.

"Ok, Maggie and I will take the right, you guys go left." Glenn said and Rhiannon nodded in agreement, not finding it at all surprising that he hadn't even acknowledged Merle.

It didn't take long for Daryl to pick the lock and they were slowly stepping inside, their weapons drawn.

"Stay close." Daryl whispered to her, his finger hooking in her belt loop and pulling her closer to get rid of the gap between them.

"Oh my god." Merle mumbled in disgust at their small display of affection.

"Fuck off." Rhiannon whispered back and they kept moving forward.

She couldn't help but wonder if Daryl had given Merle a talk about protecting her before they left. She definitely noticed how they stood on either side of her as if shielding her from any potential danger.

Together, they emptied the shelves in front of them, working quickly and silently.

Daryl got her attention, motioning behind the counter. Rhiannon nodded and went back to filling her bag. She didn't see the warning look Daryl gave his brother, silently asking him to watch her back. Merle nodded, looking annoyed as he waved him off.

Rhiannon was done with the shelves in front of her and she moved toward the back of the store, rolling her eyes when she heard Merle's footsteps following her. She didn't need a chaperone.

She noticed a door, the storage room she was guessing. She turned, noticing that Merle's attention had drifted from her and he was now occupied grabbing bottles of whiskey and vodka. She rolled her eyes, holding back a scoff at his actions and moved towards the door, not bothering to get his attention.

As soon as she opened the door to the storage room, a walker lunged out, its rotten hands grabbing onto her shoulders.

She let out a yelp as it pushed her back, feeling a sharp pain in her arm as it hit the shelf behind her.

"Rhiannon!" Daryl yelled, rushing over to her. He raised his crossbow, trying to line up the shot, but they were moving too much, he couldn't risk shooting with her so close.

More walkers came pouring out and she could hear Daryl yelling for the others. Rhiannon grit her teeth, struggling against the weight of the walker in front of her. She noticed more coming towards her, one quickly falling with an bolt in its head.

She raised her sword, swiping to the side to take down another one that came for her. She yelped as the walker she was struggling to hold back lunged forward at the sudden lax weight. Her sword fell from her hand and she was left defenceless as more walkers poured out of the back room.

Maggie and Glenn ran towards the comotion and their eyes widened at the sight in front of them and it didn't take them long to get involved in the fight.

Daryl swore loudly, he couldn't load his bow fast enough so without thinking he threw it down and grabbed his knife from his belt. He ran forward with a vengeance and grabbed the walker, pulling it off her and plunging his knife in its head.

He threw it to the side and quickly reached down, taking Rhiannon by the hand and pulled her up into his side.

He moved quickly, practically carrying her as he rushed out of the store.

"Let's go!" Glenn yelled as he saw Daryl taking Rhiannon out. He knew they needed to follow. "Maggie, come on!" He yelled, noticing she wasn't backing down.

Merle grabbed her arm pulling her back from a walker that lunged at her when she was focused on another and stabbed his weapon up into it's chin.

"Keep movin'." He told her, nudging her closer to Glenn as he took up the rear, covering their backs as they left the store.

From outside, Rhiannon stared at the building in front of her, still trembling slightly from adrenaline.

"You alright?" Daryl asked, his hands moving frantically over her arms to look for any bites.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She waved him off, ignoring the pain on the back of her arm. She knew it was from banging it on the edge of the shelf and not a walker. She didn't see a reason to bring it up to Daryl, it wasn't life threatening but he'd still freak out either way.

He sighed heavily, bringing her into his arms again. He almost brought her off her feet completely as he held her tightly. Rhiannon laughed softly, feeling breathless at his tight grip.

"I'm ok." She whispered. "You saved me."

Daryl, still with his face twisted in what looked like agony, leaned his forehead against hers, trying to find comfort in her touch. It seemed like his body hadn't caught up to his brain. He knew she was ok, yet his heart was still pounding with fear.

"Daryl, I'm ok." Rhiannon repeated more firmly, noticing he wasn't calming down.

He nodded, his eyes finally softening as it sunk in while staring back into her big brown eyes that she was safe.

"Fuck." He muttered, still slightly out of breath.

Without another thought he leaned down, crashing his lips to hers, clutching her tightly, betraying just how desperate he was.

Rhiannon held onto him tightly, kissing him back with a ferocity that matched his. The thought of Maggie, Glenn, or Merle seeing them didn't even register, she was aching to be close to him, it had been so long and she was willing to indulge whenever she could, no matter who may be around them.

While the couple was reuniting and reveling in the closeness they had been deprived of for weeks, Maggie, Glenn, and Merle had finally rushed out of the store, sealing the doors shut behind them.

Seeing his brother in a position he'd never seen before, Merle scoffed, turning his nose up at the sight of him in the embrace of the woman he loved.

Hearing the distaste in his brother's voice, Daryl pulled away from Rhiannon, sending a glare to Merle as he kept his hands on his girl.

Rhiannon pulled away from Daryl, making her way to Maggie.

"You ok?" She asked, her eyes roaming for any indication that she was hurt because something had to have happened to put the shocked look on her face.

Maggie nodded, a small smile on her face as her eyes shifted to Merle. She wasn't exactly comfortable praising the man that had damned her just months before.

Merle noticed the hesitation on her face and he looked down, feeling his anger beginning to rise at her reluctance to talk about what had just transpired.

"Everyone ok?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, we're good." Glenn answered, refusing to look over at the man he'd once hated but who had just saved his wife's life, just as she was doing.

"Yeah, no thanks to them." Merle spoke up, staring at the couple with disdain.

"What does-"

"Ya'll look at me like the devil." Merle said, interrupting Rhiannon's question. "I was an asshole before, I know that, but you act like you've all been these perfect fucking angels that ain't ever done nothin' wrong your whole life."

Rhiannon kept her mouth shut, her wide eyes moving to Daryl, silently asking what the hell was happening. She knew Merle was an angry man, she'd experienced it first hand, but she had never seen him rant like this before. She had a feeling it was a long time coming.

"You left me on a roof to die!" Merle yelled at Glenn, taking a threatening step closer, but Daryl quickly moved in front of him, worrying that a fight was about to escalate.

"Merle, c'mon." Daryl said, trying to talk his brother down, but Merle swatted his hand away and took another step towards Glenn.

To his credit, Glenn didn't flinch or back down. He looked at Merle straight on, and for the first time, Rhiannon saw shame on his face. It definitely wasn't what she was expecting to see.

"The Governor gave me a chance, I didn't know what the fuck I was supposed to do. All that shit in Woodbury, I did that so I could survive, so I wouldn't be the one on the choppin' block. You'd do the same for your girl, you'd do the same for yourself. Fuck, you did do the same for yourself back in Atlanta."

Glenn looked down in guilt, not able to face Merle and the thing that had haunted him for months. Merle Dixon wasn't exactly a noble person, but leaving him up on a roof had always rubbed him the wrong way. He hadn't been able to get over it, especially now that he was face to face with the man who only had one hand.

"Merle-" Rhiannon started, but the fiery look Merle sent her had her shutting up right away. She knew where he was coming from, she knew he needed to get this out. They'd never be able to move past this tense divide between them if he didn't.

"What the fuck do I gotta do to prove to you people that I'm with you? I already took a fuckin' bullet and that wasn't enough. I saved you're asses ten fuckin' seconds ago and you still look at me like I'm the enemy. I'm fuckin' done, I can't do nothin' else."

"We can't just forget what happened in Woodbury." Maggie told him, though her tone was much softer than anyone had expected.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't think about that every goddamn day? I'm sorry, ok?! I'm fuckin' sorry I was a pathetic asshole. I can't fuckin' turn back time, I can't do nothin' bout it but be damned for the rest of my fuckin' life."

Glenn and Maggie looked at the man they thought they'd be hating for the rest of their lives, their eyes wide in disbelief. They'd never seen the man so honest and open, it was jarring for them.

"Thank you for apologizing." Maggie spoke up after a long and awkward silence. "That's all I wanted to hear, so thank you."

Rhiannon looked at her younger sister in surprise. She hadn't expected Maggie to be so smart and relaxed about this. She knew how this whole Merle issue had been grating on her for weeks and she was shocked that she was actually accepting his apology.

Glenn, on the other hand, still looked more reluctant.

Merle saw his hesitation and scoffed, shaking his head.

"You've made mistakes just like me, why do I gotta suffer for mine?"

Glenn sighed, looking down at his feet. "I care about Maggie more than I care about me. I don't care that you beat the shit outta me, It was an eye for an eye for Atlanta, I get that. I'm over that. But you took my wife to a man that tormented her. You took Rhiannon to a man that tormented her and honestly I don't know how _you're_ ok with this." He said, turning his gaze to look at Daryl accusingly.

"I ain't ok with it." Daryl snapped. "But it's my fuckin' brother."

"And Rhiannon's your girl. I know you know how far you would go to protect her. If this was anyone else, they'd have a bolt in their eye the second you got your hands on them."

Daryl had no response. Glenn was right. If it were some random guy that had taken them, he would've killed them as soon as he had the chance. But It was Merle, it was his brother that had kidnapped his girl, and he still struggled with that thought. But he knew Merle was struggling too, that was the only thing that was keeping him calm.

Rhiannon looked over at Daryl, trying to keep her face expressionless. Daryl leaving with Merle was the lowest point of their relationship. They had both thought it was the end. She had been angry that he hadn't stuck up for her the way she expected him too, and Glenn bringing it up again had her panicking, as if she was going to watch him walk away the way she had before.

Daryl's face reddened, in anger or in embarrassment, she didn't know, and he looked over at her, meeting her eyes shamefully. He sighed deeply, clearly still upset about that low point in his life the same way she was.

It was not something he wanted to think back on.

Merle felt his anger rising at his brother's silence. For so long he only had Daryl and he expected it to be that way for the rest of their lives. But it was obvious Daryl wasn't in his corner anymore, he hadn't been for a long time and he proved that when he chose to go back to the prison.

Merle had no one to blame but himself for that and it was finally time he came to terms with that.

He ran his hand over his face, trying hard to keep himself from completely going off the deep end.

"Look, I appreciate you apologizing, but I can't just forgive and forget that easily. My wife could've gotten hurt, I can't get over that." Glenn told Merle, making the rest of them tense simultaneously, worried about how this whole argument could possibly escalate. Knowing Merle, it was a valid thing to worry about.

Merle steeled his expression, not allowing any of them to see how he really felt about this whole situation. That was what Daryl expected, he always knew Merle to be elusive about pretty much everything that had happened to them.

He sighed heavily, his foot tapping against the ground in an impatient rhythm. "Man, fuck this." He muttered, turning his back on the others as he started to walk away.

"Merle, where are you going?" Rhiannon called out. She felt bad, she could see the hurt in his eyes, no matter how hard he had tried to hide it. She knew it couldn't be easy knowing everyone was against him. She didn't know how he lived with it and frankly, she was surprised it had taken this long for all of this to finally come to a head.

"Gonna walk back." He brushed her off, not even bothering to look back.

"Merle-" Daryl started, feeling something inside him ache at the sight of his brother walking away. It was something that had always bothered him as a kid and it still bothered him today.

"Don't." Merle snapped, turning his head to glare at his younger brother fiercely. "I'll see you later." He said quietly, his voice filled with venom as his eyes moved to Maggie and Glenn briefly before turning away and continuing his journey away from them.

Rhiannon watched him go, feeling conflicted. On the one hand he was Merle Dixon, the man that brought her to the Governor and let her and her sister get tormented by the Governor and beat up one of her best friends. He was the brother of the man she loved that had only ever belittled him and told him he was worthless.

But on the other hand, he was the man that jumped in front of a bullet for her, the man that had just helped his sister. He was the man that stayed at the prison, helping all the strangers around him and the people that looked down at him for his past actions, but stayed and took the brunt of their disapproving looks to be with his brother, the one he wanted to make it up to for all those years of torment.

She looked to Daryl, hoping he would have a clearer understanding of what the hell they were supposed to do now, but he looked just as taken aback and confused as they all did.

"Daryl, I'm sorry." Maggie blurted out, looking at the hunter with soft eyes when she noticed how rigid he stood. She could tell he was angry.

"Don't need to be." Daryl mumbled, refusing to look at her.

"No I do. I know how hard this is on you. We need to be more supportive. I know I need to let things go, it's just...difficult."

"No, you don't need to let this go." Glenn interrupted, clearly still angry based on his harsh tone.

Rhiannon kept her mouth shut, watching everything unfold with wide eyes. She knew this whole situation was going to explode in their faces sooner or later and she didn't want to get in the middle of it, so she opted to stay quiet.

"He kidnapped us! We never would've had a problem with Woodbury if he didn't take us there!" Glenn yelled, now looking at Daryl who had stepped closer challengingly.

"You really that naive? That psycho was in our backyard, only a matter'a time before he rolled up to our gates."

Rhiannon could tell Daryl was losing his grasp on the shred of patience he had left. She stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest to keep him from getting any closer to Glenn who wasn't backing down either.

 _God, why couldn't Glenn still be scared of Daryl?,_ Rhiannon whined internally.

"Well at least my wife wouldn't have been assaulted! Why aren't you more pissed at him? You saw what happened to Rhiannon, what happened because of Merle. Do you really care about her that little to not do something about him?"

Rhiannon held her breath, her eyes widening with worry when she saw how Daryl's face had darkened at the accusation. He narrowed his eyes at Glenn, his body practically trembling with anger and in a blink of an eye he lunged forward, obscenities pouring out of his mouth without a second thought.

Rhiannon quickly stepped in front of him, her hands pushing at his strong chest to try and hold him back from being the second Dixon to beat the shit out of Glenn Rhee.

"Dary, stop!" She yelled, struggling to hold the feral man back with the help of her sister.

Once Daryl realized exactly who was in front of him, trying to hold back the freight train that was his anger, he stopped. He looked down, breathing heavily as his eyes, still blazing with fury, glanced down at her.

It was only when he saw her pleading eyes that he backed down, taking a step back. His gaze that had softened, only slightly, at the sight of her moved back to Glenn and within a second had turned back to murderous.

"You ever think 'bout sayin' that shit again-"

"Daryl." Rhiannon warned sternly, cutting off his threat. Daryl and Glenn, despite their differences, had become friends. She didn't want that to get ruined over some words. Even if Glenn had taken the first low blow, Daryl getting another one in wasn't going to make things any better.

Glenn, though there was a hint of guilt on his face, was for the most part still angry and stone faced.

"I went too far, I'm sorry." He said, but his voice was strained. "But I can't forget what happened in Woodbury, not right now at least."

Daryl didn't answer, he just kept staring at the man with a fierceness that could intimidate even her.

"We should get back to the prison. We can sort this out later." Rhiannon said, knowing it was unlikely Daryl was going to accept his apology or be willing to work this out any time soon.

It took some stern glares from both women to their partners before finally convincing the both of them to get into the car together.

If Rhiannon thought the drive there was awkward, the drive back was a million times worse.

No one said a word and the tension was stifling. Daryl stared out the window silently, biting at his nails, a tick she noticed he did when he was on edge. Rhiannon looked at him worriedly.

This was one of the only times she hated his silence. It wasn't like the relaxing and loving times when they could just sit in silence enjoying each other's company. She was worried about him, she knew he was angry and it was always a slippery slope when he got like this. He was so unpredictable.

Tentatively, she reached out, her hand crawling over to his. He flinched as he felt her touch, his gaze snapping down to where her fingers intertwined with his.

He didn't say anything, he didn't even look at her. He just moved his gaze back out the window.

Rhiannon sighed, feeling the rejection sting as it always did when he got like this.

She was about to pull away, sensing that he needed space, when she suddenly felt him squeeze her hand lightly, silently letting her know she wasn't doing anything wrong. He wanted her with him, even if it was the slightest touch.

Rhiannon smiled lightly and kept her hand in his, her thumb gently running over his calloused fingers.

After what felt like hours, they finally made it back to the prison. Before Glenn even had the car in park, Daryl was opening the door and barrelling out of the car.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she worried he was going to pull the driver door open and pull Glenn out to finish the fight that had almost happened in the parking lot of the store.

Thankfully, he just started stomping down towards the field, far away from Glenn.

Rhiannon sighed and moved to follow, getting out of the car much more calmly than Daryl had.

"Rhi?"

She turned, her lips shut tightly to avoid letting out a noise of exasperation. She raised a brow, noticing Glenn was looking at her, his eyes cast downwards as he worried his lip between his teeth.

"I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry." He said quickly.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Was all she said before turning on her heel to follow Daryl towards the gates.

She could see the rigidity of his shoulders from across the field and as she approached, she suddenly wondered if she should give him time.

But she thought back to how he was on the farm. She wouldn't let him stew in his anger alone even back then when they weren't together and she certainly wasn't going to start now.

"Hey." She called out and frowned when Daryl didn't even acknowledge her presence. She sighed heavily, running a hand through her short hair. "We'll figure this out, ok? I promise, we'll-"

"He's wrong." Daryl said, cutting her off.

He finally turned to face her, his face still clouded with anger. His fists were clenched tightly and he took a step towards her, but despite his demeanor, she knew it wasn't threatening in any way. She knew him better than to be scared.

"What he said was bullshit, I don't- this thing with my brother, it has nothin' to do with you. I ain't-"

"Hey, Daryl, it's ok. I know." Rhiannon said quickly, taking a step forward so she was toe to toe with him. She reached up, placing her hands on either side of his face as if to make sure he couldn't look away from her.

"I know you care about me. I've never doubted that."

"Even when I left?" He rasped, his stony expression finally breaking and she could see how upset he was.

"Daryl, he's your brother. I know you left cause of your loyalty to your family, which I love about you. I realize that now, I'm not angry anymore."

Daryl didn't look convinced and his eyes looked everywhere but at hers.

"Daryl." She said firmly, making him slowly raise his gaze to hers. "That's in the past. You can't keep beating yourself up about this."

He nodded slowly, though she figured she need to do a little more convincing.

"Why don't you come inside, we can work this out." Rhiannon offered, though the thought of Daryl and Glenn working this out made her incredibly nervous with the way they had looked at each other. She knew they'd probably need security for that conversation.

"Nah, 'm gonna wait for Merle. Need to talk to him."

Rhiannon nodded, she was glad he wasn't going hunting, something he usually did when he got angry to get some distance from everyone. That always worried her.

"You should go see your dad, get your arm checked out."

Rhiannon's brow furrowed. How did he know she had hurt her arm? She made sure to keep it quiet so he wouldn't fuss.

"Noticed you favorin' your left."

Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise, a wide smile growing. She was always so blown away at how perceptive he was. She loved that he paid so much attention and cared so much, something that had certainly surprised her.

"Go on, I'll be inside soon." He assured her, feeling slightly bashful from the way she was looking at him so fondly.

"Ok." She said quietly, the goofy smile still on her face. She leaned up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his softly, smiling when she felt his arms wind around her waist.

He kissed her back lovingly, making her head spin.

He pulled away too soon for her liking and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Thank you for tryin' so hard for him." He mumbled, still feeling a little awed at how much she did for him and his brother. It really made him realize just how thankful he was to have her in his life.

"Not doing it just for him."

Daryl smiled lightly, feeling a blush rise on his cheeks. "Thank you." He said again, feeling completely overwhelmed at how much he loved the woman in his arms.

* * *

It was hours later when Daryl finally stepped back into the prison and Rhiannon was worried when she didn't see Merle following him.

Her worry only grew as Daryl approached her, his face blank, but she knew him better. She could see in his eyes he was worried about something.

"You ok?" She asked quietly, making sure she didn't wake up the sleeping Judith in her arms as she was taking her turn for baby duty while Beth helped Carol with dinner.

"Fine." He said quietly, his finger gently caressing the baby's chubby cheek.

"Where's Merle?"

"Outside."

The one word answers had red flags raising in her mind immediately. Her eyes narrowed at him questioningly. "What's going on?"

"We talked, figured somethin' out."

"Ok." She said slowly, subtly telling him to continue.

"He wants to go after the Governor, finish all the shit he started."

"And you're going with him." She said, not even phrasing it as a question, she knew he was.

"Have to." Was all Daryl said.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I dunno, few days, maybe a week?"

"A week?" Rhiannon exclaimed, quickly widened her eyes and clamping her mouth shut, looking down at the baby who thankfully was still sleeping despite her loud voice.

"It's gonna take as long as it takes." Daryl shrugged, clearly not having much of an issue with being away for that long. "After what that bastard did to you, I don't care how long it takes. I gotta end this."

Rhiannon exhaled harshly, blowing strands of hair from her face. She looked up at him through her lashes and wanted to curse at the way he was looking at her so intently, like he was so confident about this decision.

"Why do you have to be such a good guy, can't you just be selfish for once?" She mumbled, not caring about if she sounded petty.

Daryl's lips quirked up into an amused smile. He looked down at her fondly and brushed her hair out of her face, his hand staying by the side of her face in an affection gesture.

"Be careful out there."

"Always am." He stated simply and that charming Dixon smirk he gave her reassured her that he would be ok. He was Daryl Dixon and she knew he could do anything.

Despite how much she loathed to say goodbye to him, she knew he and Merle needed this. They needed time to talk and work through all the conflict that surrounded them. They needed to be brothers again.

She loved him too much to take that away from him so she said the horrible goodbye she hated to say and watched him leave the gates of the prison with a heavy heart.

* * *

 **Poor Daryl. But there will be some brotherly love next chapter and some fluff with our favourite couple that we've been missing.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **As always, a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter xx**


	56. Chapter 56

**Sorry for the long wait, hope there's enough smut to make up for it!**

* * *

Daryl and Merle sat in silence and for once in a long time, it wasn't a tense silence filled with rage. Instead, they were both at ease, despite being out in the forest where dead people where walking around. They weren't worried, they knew they had each other's backs.

Daryl was finishing skinning the last of their catches as Merle set up the fire in front of them.

"So what happened to all those Atlanta folks." Merle suddenly asked. Unlike his younger brother, he wasn't exactly fond of prolonged silences and he had been wondering about that for quite some time. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask.

"What?" Daryl asked, taken aback by the question.

"You know, Jim, that black lady, the sheriff's wife. Or that asshole Shane. No one talks 'bout 'em. What happened?"

Daryl's motions stopped and his body went rigid at the mention of the man that had tormented his girl. The man he didn't get the pleasure of killing.

That still bothered him.

"Don't matter." He mumbled, trying to push through the red hot anger that flowed through him at the mere mention of the ex cop.

"It definitely does 'cause you look like you wanna kill somethin' right now."

Daryl sighed, squeezing his eyes shut, hoping he could keep calm.

"So?" Merle pressured.

"Jim got bit, pretty much the day after you were gone. Jacqui...opted out. And Lori, she died given' birth to Asskicker." He explained quietly, feeling as if a dark could were over him as he thought back to the people they had lost.

"And the pig?"

Daryl had some kind of sick satisfaction at hearing the derogatory term, but he grit his teeth at the thought of him.

"Rick killed him."

Merle nodded, feeling both surprised and impressed by the revelation. He looked over at his brother and his eyes narrowed at the dark expression on his face.

"Wait, don't tell me you an' that piece'a shit were friends?" He asked, wondering if that was why he suddenly looked so angry.

The thought that Daryl could have ever been friends with that bastard made him even angrier. He almost completely ruined the animal he was skinning and he had to stop so he didn't get carried away with the motions of his knife.

He just gave Merle a plain look as if to say 'are you fucking kidding me?'

Merle snorted and nodded, glad that that wasn't the case. "So what's with the face then?" He asked, unable to keep from prying.

Daryl hesitated. He didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to think about it, but he doubted he'd be able to get out of this. It was always that way with Merle, if he wanted something he wasn't going to give up easy.

"Asshole killed someone Rhiannon's family was close to. She found out and...he...wanted to keep her quiet." Daryl explained vaguely, not wanting to relive those horrible moments on the farm when she had been tormented.

Merle was eerily quiet as he took in what exactly his brother was saying. His brows furrowed and Daryl could've sworn he could see a flash of panic in his eyes.

"Did he…"

"Nah. Tried to though."

"Jesus." Merle mumbled, feeling uncomfortable with the thought of the girl his brother was with in that kind of danger. The feeling was pretty abnormal for him and he didn't know how to process that that news had affected him in that way.

He didn't how to feel knowing that girl was worming her way into his good graces.

Merle could see the anguish on his brother's face clear as day and decided it was time to change the subject.

"You itchin' to get back?"

Daryl just shrugged. He was, it had already been a week and he didn't think he could stand any more time away from Rhiannon. It was killing him. But he figured it wouldn't do him any good to tell Merle that, he'd just get made fun of.

Merle huffed out a laugh at the look on Daryl's face. He was too transparent for his own good.

"Don't gotta pretend you ain't. A week without pussy is torture."

Daryl's eyes widened and he looked at his brother in exasperation. "Merle-"

"Oh, relax, Darleena. We both know you and your girl go at it like bunnies. Don't deny it."

Daryl blushed and moved his gaze down to the animal he continued to skin to avoid the teasing smirk his brother was sending him.

Merle wasn't entirely accurate though, much to Daryl's displeasure. He hadn't had time with Rhiannon in so long, ever since they took in the Woodbury people. The dry spell between them was agonizing and he was sure that was part of the reason he was so antsy to get back to the prison.

He sure as hell didn't want Merle to know how frustrated he was.

"Is Bambi good in the sack?" Merle asked suddenly.

Daryl clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, finding the strength he needed not to lunge across the fire and beat his brother for his question.

"I ain't talkin' 'bout that. And don't call her that, she has a name."

He didn't know why but the thought of anyone else, even his brother, having a nickname for her made him tick. He liked that he had a name for her, one that made her smile so brightly whenever he said it. He liked that it was their thing, he didn't want anyone to be apart of that.

He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help it.

Merle's face immediately turned serious and his eyes cast down to the fire in front of them. The sudden shift in the air had Daryl on edge. He didn't know why it had suddenly become so tense between them, Daryl didn't think he'd said anything particularly hurtful, even if he did, it's not like the brothers don't take their licks with each other.

Instead of prying, which he knew wouldn't end well, Daryl stayed silent and continued with prepping their dinner.

Merle shifted where he sat, looking agitated by the silence. He chewed at his thumb nail, looking like the spitting image of his younger brother with that habit.

The words in his head swirled around viciously as he contemplated coming clean about something that had been bugging him since he first met his brother's girl and heard her name.

"'s hard for me." He finally mumbled, his cheeks flaming red at the declaration.

"What?" Daryl asked, his brows furrowing at the sincerity he saw on his brother's face. It wasn't often he got to see what Merle was thinking or feeling, his brother wasn't one for that kind of brotherly love and bonding. It was jarring to see him so serious now.

"It's hard to say her name." Merle confessed, his voice quiet, almost like he was embarrassed by being so honest and open.

Daryl's mouth fell slightly agape in surprise. That was the last thing he expected to hear. But he understood. He was shaken when he first met her, he remembered his childhood and his mother playing the song the woman he ended up loving was named after. He had felt overwhelmed by the amazing coincidence, or maybe it was fate. That was what Rhiannon had called it and before he would've laughed, but it honestly didn't sound too crazy to him now.

Daryl knew that Merle had the same memories, the only fond memories of their childhood. He knew that their mother had told him about the myth of the song Rhiannon and he knew how much Merle missed those good times and wished things had turned out differently, just as he did.

He remembered a few weeks ago when he had practically ran out of the prison when Beth had started to sing that same song to baby Judith.

"I get it." Daryl told him. "Freaked me out when I first met her, but I got used to it."

Rhiannon had helped him realize that not everything in his life before was doom and gloom like he had once thought. She had taught him to think back on the few good memories he had fondly and not with anger.

He hoped Merle could see it that way but he didn't know how to get him to that point. God, he wished Rhiannon were here. She would always be so much better at stuff like this than he ever would be.

"She likes you."

Merle scoffed and shook his head. He really couldn't believe that. He felt like he had damned himself with the whole group the day he brought them to Woodbury, he didn't know if he could ever come back from that.

"She does." Daryl assured him, a small smirk on his face. "I didn't ask her for nothin', but she's tryin' hard to make this work."

"I know."

Daryl, given any past experience of talking to Merle, was now pleasantly surprised by his brother. He felt like he was finally making progress with him, something that he wished could've happened decades ago.

"You got a good woman, you're a lucky son of a bitch." Merle said, surprising both of them once again. But Merle couldn't deny that his brother's girl was good for him, she was even good for himself. She'd made him realize there was more to living than just saving his own ass.

Daryl smiled as he thought about the brown eyed woman that waited for him. "Don't I know it."

"But c'mon, she's a wildcat in bed, right?"

The smile on Daryl's face fell immediately and he rolled his eyes, ignoring his brother's triumphant laugh as he continued to cook their dinner without another look at him.

* * *

For what was probably the hundredth time just that morning, Rhiannon looked up at the gates of the prison, hoping to see who she'd been missing.

It had now been nine days since Daryl had left and she was slowly getting crazier with each passing day. She knew he said he'd be about a week, but she couldn't help but lose her mind with worry.

Fingers snapped in front of her face making her flinch. She turned her head to see Rick who had been trying to get attention for some time, smirking at her knowingly.

"Worried?"

"Can you blame me? It's been over a week." She mumbled, turning her attention back to the seeds in front of her that needed to be planted.

"This is Daryl we're talkin' about, he's gonna be fine."

"I know, but it's my job to worry about him."

Rick nodded, his eyes shifting across the field to find Carl. He understood the feeling.

"I should be out there." Michonne interjected, looking out beyond the fences with a steely scowl.

"You wanna go camping with Merle?" Rhiannon asked incredulously and Rick let out a small laugh at the disgust he heard in her voice. He knew it was all tongue in cheek and there was no real malice to it.

"It'd be worth it if I got to put my sword through the Governor's chest."

Rhiannon's lips pursed and she nodded. "Fair enough."

"Daryl and Merle are trackers, they're the only ones qualified to do something like this." Rick told both women.

"Doesn't hurt to have more eyes out there." Michonne said casually, wiping the dirt from her hands as she had finished her section of the crops.

"I second that." Rhiannon mumbled.

"Well you're biased."

Rhiannon looked over at Rick with narrowed eyes, confused at this hard stance he was taking over them going out beyond the fences. He'd been acting different ever since they brought in the Woodbury people. He seemed a lot more relaxed which she was thankful for, but the sudden twist was a little unsettling.

"Of course I am. If Daryl's out there, I should be too."

"That's cute." Rick laughed and Rhiannon scoffed, pushing him over into the dirt from his squatting position beside her.

"She's right." Michonne said, her steely demeanor not cracking like Rhiannon's had. She was upset about the fallout from Woodbury, about losing Andrea. "We need to be out there, we need to find him and finish this."

Rick floundered for a few seconds, not knowing exactly what to say. "Talk to the others, see what they say. Maybe we can send a group out." He finally said, moving back to the gardening, something a lot less important, Rhiannon thought.

Michonne nodded and stood from her spot on the ground next to them. She gave Rhiannon a barely there smile in passing as she left, leaving the two to watch her go with worried expressions.

"She alright?" Rick asked, his brows furrowed questioningly as his eyes trailed after the woman.

"She's still grieving. Misses Andrea." Rhiannon explained. "Don't blame her for wanting to go out there. She's probably never gonna get over this until he's dead."

"Is starting another fight with the Governor really a good idea?"

"We're not starting anything. We're finishing it."

Rick just nodded, silently contemplating her words.

Rhiannon turned to face him, her eyes narrowing as she looked him over curiously.

"What's up with you?"

Rick looked up, his eyes wide, and he shrugged, not quite understanding her question.

"Why don't you wanna find him and end this? Why haven't you been past those fences in weeks? This whole organic farmer thing is… strange." She finished slowly, not exactly knowing what the best word to describe it was.

Rick sighed, his motions stopping as he wiped the dirt from his hands. "It can't be like how it was before. _I_ can't be how I was for before."

Rhiannon looked at him intensely. "Is this about Lori? Are you still seeing her?" She asked in a hushed voice despite the fact that there was no one else around them.

Rick squeezed his eyes shut, the memory alone painful to think about. Rhiannon frowned and reached over, placing her hand over his that was clenched tightly. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and they softened slightly. He shook his head.

"Haven't seen her in a while."

"So it's Carl then. About the kid he shot?"

Rick sucked in a harsh breath and bit his lip roughly. He looked up, sparing at glance at his son who was talking to some of kids from Woodbury that were around his age. He smiled lightly, happy to see that he could act like a kid again, but the ache in his chest didn't lighten. He was still worried about him.

"It was close. It could've been too late, he could've been too far gone. I can't take a risk like that again. I gotta be a good example for him, I gotta show him that there's more to this life."

"So you aren't going outside the fences?"

"Not right now. I gotta build a life here, for him and for Judith." He explained.

"So Carl's not allowed outside those fences either?"

Rick let out a sound of disbelief and his eyes widened. "Not on my life. Not going through that again, either of us."

Rhiannon clicked her teeth together, giving him an awkward smile that was shrouded with guilt.

"What?"

"Well I kinda promised him that I'd take him on more runs so he could get some more experience out there and be more comfortable." She explained, wincing with every word that passed her lips.

Rick looked at her lamely. "And why would you do that?"

Rhiannon sighed dramatically. "I don't know. He's got this pouty face and big eyes, I didn't wanna disappoint him."

Rick laughed, making her relax. She was thankful he wasn't mad at her.

"Rick, you know what he was like all winter. He doesn't want to sit back and watch everyone else get things done. He just wants to help out. He's just like his father that way."

Rick smiled and nodded. "I know. And maybe I am bein' too overprotective, but I just… there's kids here his own age. He can finally act like a kid like he's supposed to be."

"I get it. He's your kid, no one's gonna think you're too overprotective. I just don't want him to be unprepared. I mean, god forbids something happens and he's out there without any of us."

"I know." He said quietly. He knew it was a valid argument. It was one he'd given Lori all winter to try and convince her to let him come with them on any runs they had. He knew he couldn't shelter his son forever.

"I get what you're doing. Just know that whenever you think he's ready to learn, I'll be there."

Rick smiled at her in thanks, grateful that he had someone to help him when he got overwhelmed with stuff like this. He never imagined himself as a single parent and he was glad he at least had Rhiannon and the rest of the group to help when he felt lost.

"So what about what you told Michonne, ' _talk to the others_ '? Are you not the person we'd go to about stuff like this? I get that you wanna take a step back for Carl but you're still our leader."

"I don't think I can be." Rick stated simply. It was clear that it was something he'd been thinking for a long time now, the thought was easy for him now.

The way Rhiannon looked at him made it clear that she was worried about him. He gave her a reassuring smile, touched by her concern for him.

"You guys are doing just fine without me leading you. The other day, you and Glenn led a run, you brought people back, a doctor no less. You guys are making this place run. You don't need me telling you what to do."

"Alright, if that's what you really want." She conceded, seeing that he was content with his decision so she wasn't going to push, no matter how wrong it felt to be in a group that wasn't at the helm of Rick Grimes.

Rick nodded, glad she was accepting his decision. He expected a lot more contention, but then again, she was the only one he'd talked to about this. He didn't know how Daryl was going to react.

Rick tapped his fingers against his thigh as his mind wandered to the other thing she'd said that had bothered him.

"You really gonna go out there and look for him?" He asked, his voice conveying just how much that made him nervous.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I mean...after what he did to you, I just...I dunno, I just want you to be as far away from him as possible."

"Well, you're not alone." She mumbled, feeling annoyed that this was always people's first response whenever she mentioned going after the Governor.

Rick was about to say more, to hope to get her to see why no one wanted her out there in potential danger of the Governor getting his hands on her again when the loud sounds of the gates opening jarred them out of their conversation.

Rhiannon's eyes snapped up immediately and she practically threw the gloves she wore down to the ground as she stood.

Rick turned on his heel and his eyes moved to Rhiannon, a smile growing when he saw the barely contained excitement on her face.

They noticed a group of people walking through and their smiles collectively fell. Thankfully, she noticed Merle before she could freak out too much.

"Looks like we got some new company." Rick mumbled, getting to his feet to follow where the others in the courtyard were meeting the newcomers.

Rhiannon kept her eyes locked on the strangers as she approached. A loud sigh of relief left her lips when she saw the familiar angel winged vest at the front of the group of new people. She instantly felt herself relax and she quickened her pace to catch up to him.

Daryl, who had been introducing the new people to Carol, turned on his heel when he heard his name being called. His stomach jumped at the familiar voice.

His lips stretched into a smile and he took a step back from the group, walking towards Rhiannon to meet her, his arms beginning to open, right in time as she practically jumped into his embrace, her arms winding around his neck tightly.

The tensity his body had over the last nine days dissipated the instant he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"That was too long." She mumbled against his shoulder.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Rhiannon let out a long breath, finally feeling herself relax from being on the verge of a heart attack that lasted nine days. She pulled away and crashed her lips to his, not caring about the eyes on them. At least the newcomers knew not to get any ideas with either of them.

Daryl almost moaned in relief, but he was still acutely aware of the gazes on them and held it back. It wasn't enough to stop him from kissing his girl though. He missed her and he didn't care who knew.

The kiss didn't last long. The sound of a snicker next to them had them slowly pulling apart. Daryl turned towards Merle, his eyes narrowed in the filthiest glare he could muster, but it only served to make his brother let out a full bellied laugh.

"Don't stop on my account. I know how starved you've been. You should'a seen him last night, Bambi. Boy was havin' a mighty good dream-"

"Merle." Daryl snapped, cutting him off before he could continue running his mouth.

Rhiannon looked at Merle quizzically and shook her head. "Hi Merle. Glad to see this trip has really changed you." She drawled sarcastically.

"Aw c'mon. Don't need changin'. Perfect the way I am."

"Right." She muttered, removing her arms from around Daryl's neck. She was going to take a step back from him but his arms on her waist stopped her.

Daryl, firmly ignoring Merle, looked down at the girl he'd been missing for nine days and leaned down, catching her lips with his for a quick second. The only affection he'd let himself have in that moment, despite the fact that he was itching for more.

Merle scoffed, rolling his eyes at the scene in front of them.

"Man, would you leave them alone?" Sasha asked, approaching the small group with a smile, Maggie and Glenn following just a few steps after to welcome them back.

Merle sent a glare her way and rolled his eyes again. He surprisingly kept quiet. There was still tension between him and Glenn, they hadn't spoken at all since that incident at the store, and he thought it be better if he not start fights the second he stepped back into the prison.

"So how'd the search go?" Sasha asked, her face becoming more serious. She was anxious to get the Governor situation behind her. Despite reassurances from everyone at the prison, she couldn't help but worry that they held a grudge because she lived there and worked for the man that turned out to be so twisted.

"Ain't much out there to find."

"Just people we weren't looking for." Merle said, his eyes moving to the newcomers that were being questioned by Rick.

"They good people?" Maggie asked, eyeing the group wearily. It wasn't a big group, only two girls and three guys. She knew if things went sideways they had enough people to not let it be a problem.

"Yeah. Found 'em fightin' off a group of walkers. Judging by the looks of 'em fightin' they ain't much of a threat."

Rhiannon nodded, thankful that she didn't have to worry. Even if they were capable fighters, if Daryl trusted them enough to bring them in there was little doubt that she needed to be weary.

"At least there's finally some eye candy here." Sasha mused, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rhiannon gave her an amused look, barely holding back a smile.

"What? There's not much of a selection here, all the cute guys are taken."

"I'm single, honey." Merle chimed in, giving her a charming smile.

Sasha grimaced at the prospect of getting close to Merle in that way. "Like I said, all the cute ones are taken."

Rhiannon didn't even try to hold back her laughter and she pointed a teasing finger at Merle as she reveled in delight at his expense.

Daryl smirked, his grip on her waist tightening as he looked down at her, almost in awe. He loved that sound and he was glad he got to hear it, despite the world they lived in.

"Ain't that funny." Merle mumbled, though there was a flash of amusement in his eyes. He could at least appreciate the fact that he could rib with these people. It wasn't like that at Woodbury. Everyone had been so uptight there, he could never relax with them the way he could at the prison.

Something that thoroughly shocked him.

"So which one'a those pussies you takin' over me?" He asked Sasha.

"I like the blonde one."

"Mmm, nope, not a good idea." Rhiannon interjected.

"What's wrong with him? He's cute."

"He's a fuckboy."

"A what?" Daryl asked, looking down at her in confusion.

"A fuckboy. You know, frat boy, douchebag womanizers. The Brads and Chads of the world." She explained and turned to Sasha. "Stay far away."

"His name's Troy, not Brad or Chad." Daryl told her with a smirk.

"I rest my case. 'Troy' is just as bad."

Daryl chuckled and nudged her lightly.

"Oh shit." Maggie suddenly whispered harshly and pulled Glenn in front of her so she could hide behind him.

"What?" He asked, now very concerned. His eyes darted around, trying to see what had put her on edge.

"That's Chrissy Adams."

Rhiannon furrowed her brows. She recognized that name. "The girl from high school?"

"Yup. She was the Regina George of our town. Made my life hell."

"Who's Regina George?" Glenn asked, still awkwardly standing in front of his wife as she crouched behind him.

Both Rhiannon and Sasha looked over at Glenn with mirrored looks of astonishment. "How do you not- you know what, it doesn't matter." Rhiannon shook her head. "Didn't she sleep with your prom date?"

"Yeah. Then she started a rumor saying that creepy crackhead janitor and I were havin' an affair. God, I hate her." Maggie explained, her teeth gritting tightly.

"Then let's kick her out." Rhiannon said, beginning to make her way forward but Daryl stopped her.

"Can't just leave her out there cause she's a bitch. We need a bit more cause than that."

"No we don't." She shrugged and tried to move again but Daryl's grip on her waist wouldn't let her. Her eyes widened in annoyance and she sighed heavily, her protective big sister role coming out.

"We can't. You'll just start more drama. Don't need anymore'a that shit."

"At least give her the last cell on the bottom floor. The mattress in there is shit." Maggie chimed in and Daryl smirked.

"Deal."

Rhiannon smiled up at him, her thumb brushing over his wrist. He looked down at her and his gaze immediately turned into something a lot less innocent than before.

It had been too long and the slightest of touched was enough to set their skin on fire. Thankfully the group began to disband, everyone going their separate ways, having jobs to do. Except them.

"C'mon." She said, motioning for him to follow her as she began to walk towards the prison.

"I gotta deal with the new people." He said quietly, though he made no move to protest. His feet followed her without his permission.

"The others can deal with it. Come on, we've barely had any time together in weeks."

He didn't say anything in response, he just continued to follow her inside.

"I have a surprise, too." She smiled widely, dragging him through the cellblock to make their way up to their shared cell.

Daryl raised a brow, feeling something inside him beginning to stir. He could only imagine what this surprise was.

She was practically bouncing on her feet as they approached their cell. She pulled the curtain back and dragged him in, biting her lip to stop her wide smile.

Daryl's brows furrowed as he stared at the bed in front of him. The bunk beds had been taken down and were now pushed together to make a bigger bed.

"How the hell did you do this?"

"Well I had some help. Now I won't be kicking you as much."

Daryl scoffed halfheartedly and snaked his arm around her waist again. "Darlin' we shared some big beds on the road and it never stopped you from using me for kickbox practice."

Rhiannon blushed and let out a small laugh. "I guess. At least we have more room for sex."

Daryl's eyes widened slightly and his breathing stuttered. He looked down at her, his mouth slightly agape before he chuckled and shook his head. "That all you want me for, Darlin'?"

"Course not, but right now it is."

Daryl bit his lip, looking down at her intently. He was about to make a teasing remark back but she leaned up on her toes and crashed her lips to his before he could say anything.

Rhiannon ran her fingers through his hair and he groaned deeply, tightening his grip and crushing her against him, his large hands splayed against her back.

"I missed you." She mumbled against his lips.

He pulled away from the heated kiss and leaned his forehead against her. "Missed you too." He whispered.

"Feels wrong to be here without you."

Daryl's eyes softened, feeling touched by her words. He was always so overwhelmed at how she so casually said things that made him feel things he'd never felt in his life. She had him feeling loved and accepted, probably for the first time ever, and it was something she did so easily. That never failed to amaze him.

"Hey, Daryl? You up there?" Rick's voice calling out had them both tensing simultaneously.

Daryl sighed heavily and closed his eyes in annoyance. "Goddamn Rick." He muttered.

"Duty calls."

"You should come. He probably wants your take on the new people."

Rhiannon nodded, though she wasn't exactly thrilled at the proposition, and together they left their cell that they still hadn't been able to find solace in.

Their arms brushed against each others as they walked to the common area. The new members all looked up as the two approached them. Rhiannon noticed Daryl straighten his shoulders, almost puffing his chest out, when the three men in the group looked her way.

She almost rolled her eyes when she noticed the cold look Daryl was giving them. Surely they'd seen them reunite in the courtyard. She didn't think it was necessary to scare them off, they'd made it pretty obvious she wasn't available.

"This is Rhiannon. You guys will probably be workin' with her if you plan on goin' on any runs." Rick told them.

Rhiannon smiled awkwardly, almost subconsciously leaning into Daryl for comfort.

"Oh my god, Rhiannon Greene?"

She had to fight hard not to scowl at the annoying voice. Chrissy Adams. She'd heard a lot about her over the years. Rhiannon, being a few years older, hadn't had a lot of run ins with her, but she'd heard enough from Maggie to know this girl wasn't one to have in your corner.

"Yeah. You're Crystal?" She asked, playing dumb.

"Chrissy." She corrected, the wide smile on her face never wavering.

She was definitely biased but to Rhiannon, it was the fakest smile she'd ever seen.

"My bad." She smiled sweetly and Daryl nudged her, giving her a warning look. He could sense the underlying contention in her voice and no matter how entertaining it would be to see Rhiannon go off on this girl, it probably wasn't a good idea.

"I thought I saw Maggie around. How's she doing?" Chrissy asked, not at all fazed by the plastic smile Rhiannon had.

"Good." Was all she said and Daryl sighed heavily. She wasn't making this easy.

"Why don't you all move your stuff into your cells and get settled." Rick chimed in, sensing the animosity coming from Rhiannon.

As the group passed by them, Rick looked at Rhiannon, giving her a questioning look.

"It's a long story, I'll explain later." She waved him off.

"Right." Rick laughed. "Glad to see your back." He told Daryl, patting him on the shoulder as he passed to go help the new group.

"Can we go back to our cell now?" Rhiannon asked, looking up at him, feigning innocence.

"Now? With all these people 'round?" He asked, looking around at the crowded cell block with his face scrunched in distaste.

He was aching for her but not like this, not with so many ears around.

Rhiannon shrugged. "I'm not seeing a second option."

Daryl scoffed but followed her back into the cell block anyways. They were about to head up the stairs when that same annoying voice called out to Rhiannon.

She clenched her jaw and looked at Daryl pleadingly as Chrissy caught up to them.

"So, what's there to do around here?" She asked, the sweet drawl of her voice pushing Rhiannon further to the edge. She didn't know why this girl was acting so chummy with her.

"Work. You can start with laundry duty."

"Ugh, no thanks." She said, laughing at the idea.

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes. "Well we all have to pitch in. I'm sure we'll find something for you to do."

"Right. So where's Maggie? I'd love to catch up with her."

This time Rhiannon couldn't fight the urge to roll her eyes and she did so in full view of the woman in front of her.

"Look, I don't know you. All I do know is the hell you put my sister through. We're not friends and I have no desire to make it that way. So stay in your lane and keep quiet."

"W-what? I don't-"

"You stay away from me and you stay away from Maggie." Rhiannon took a threatening step forward and Daryl watched with wide eyes, frozen in his spot. He didn't even reach out to try and stop her.

"You fuck with my family and I'll make you regret it." She threatened darkly and moved past the gaping woman, her shoulder nudging hers as she did.

Rhiannon strode out of the cell block and it was barely a second later that she heard footsteps following her.

She waited until they were in the tombs before she stopped. She sighed, looking at Daryl sheepishly as he walked towards her.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have started any drama, but she's a bitch! After what she did to Maggie she deserved every bit of attitude I gave her. I'm not apologi-"

She was cut off as Daryl leaned down, his hands cradling either side of her face as he crashed his lips to hers roughly.

She moaned in surprise, but kissed him back with equal fervor. Daryl pushed her back against the wall as they continued to make out furiously, both of them relishing in the passion they'd been deprived of for weeks.

He pulled away after a few minutes, breathing heavily. "That was so fuckin' hot."

"Really?" She asked, raising a teasing brow.

"Like it when you get feisty."

Rhiannon laughed and rested her head on the wall behind her, biting her lip, knowing it would drive him crazy.

She was right, she knew him too well. He groaned and leaned forward, kissing her roughly again.

"Come on." He mumbled and grabbed her hand, dragging her along with him as he walked determinedly through the halls of the prison.

"Where are we going?" She asked through her thrilled giggles.

He didn't answer and just smirked in response, never slowing his stride, which was hard to keep up with due to her much shorter legs.

She soon understood as they came to the doors to the library and she bit her lip to quell her smile.

Daryl didn't stop his powerful stride. He wove through the stacks until they came to the back corner of the room.

Rhiannon barely had any time to comprehend what was happening or even be surprised by it before he was pushing her against the wall and kissing her with a fervor that left her dizzy.

She winded her arms around his neck, having to go up on her toes to fully reach, something she knew he'd eventually tease her for.

Daryl's hands roamed her body hungrily, soon finding their way under her shirt. She shivered at his touch on her bare skin and tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth in response, earning her a rough moan that made her legs feel weak.

She loved that she could cause such a reaction from such a strong man.

His tantalizing grip moved to her breasts and she gasped against his lips. Her hands moved to his belt buckle which she began to undo frantically. His own grip moved to her back, moving to undo her bra when the doors to the library sounded. They broke apart, both breathing heavily with eyes wide in surprise.

Daryl cursed under his breath through gritted teeth, leaning his forehead against hers as he sighed heavily in annoyance.

The sound of many pairs of feet running in had her cheeks flushing. It was story time and almost every kid in the prison was now in the room that was almost a temporary love shack.

Rhiannon slapped her hand over her mouth to stop from giggling when she heard Carol's voice telling the kids to sit down.

She didn't know if this could get any worse.

Rhiannon jerked slightly, surprised by the feeling of Daryl's scruff against the sensitive skin on her neck as he began to press kisses to the place that drove her wild.

"What are you doing?" She hissed as quietly as she could.

"We can be quiet." He whispered quickly before resuming pressing hot and heavy kisses to her neck.

"No we can't."

Rhiannon was finally able to push him away and she looked at him incredulously. She understood that it had been awhile and that he was surely going crazy with need, as she was, but she didn't think he'd be that horny he was willing to risk getting caught, and by a bunch of kids no less.

"We'll come back here later when everyone's asleep."

Daryl leaned his head back, his eyes flashing with frustration. He didn't want to wait that long. He didn't think he was even capable of waiting that long. Not when he had her right by his side.

"Come on, people go to jail for this kinda stuff."

Daryl nodded, he knew she was right, he was just so pissed off that they couldn't catch a break. With the petulance of a child who didn't get his way, he buckled his pants back up and ran a hand through his hair to fix what her grabbing hands had done.

He took her hand in his and began to move out from their hiding spot in the back corner but Rhiannon stopped. With just sparing a quick glance, she grabbed the first book she saw, holding it to her chest.

Daryl looked at her in confusion. He knew she was in the middle of reading some book she'd stolen from Rick, he didn't know why she was taking another one.

"We gotta make it look like we're in here for a reason." She explained.

"We _are_ in here for a reason." Daryl hissed, still feeling bitter about the whole situation.

Rhiannon's lips quirked at the tone of his voice, knowing just how pissed off he was. Daryl gave her a warning glance at the amusement he saw and continued walking, dragging the both of them into view of Carol and the kids.

The woman looked up in surprise, her brows furrowing at their presence while the innocent kids waved at 'Mr. Daryl' and 'Ms. Rhiannon'.

Rhiannon could tell the moment Carol realized what they'd been doing. The older woman smirked at the two of them, looking thoroughly amused at the sight of them.

"Have fun." Rhiannon smiled sweetly to the kids, her voice a strange pitch as she practically jogged out of the room, dragging Daryl along with her who was sporting a particularly fierce blush.

"You too." Carol called out to them much to the couple's dismay.

"So now what?" Rhiannon asked, still smiling slightly once they were standing in the halls by themselves.

Daryl bit his lip, clearly deep in thought, before his lips quirked up into a smirk. He looked down at her and the intensity in his eyes had her heart racing.

"We're goin' for a hunt."

Rhiannon smiled widely, understanding the underlying meaning. It was their go to excuse whenever they wanted alone time from the group. She was sure everyone had caught on to what those hunting trips were really for, but at this point she didn't care.

"C'mon." He smiled, pulling her along.

They made their way back to their cell and packed their things in record time. It was an awkward affair, telling everyone where they were going. Thankfully Merle wasn't anywhere in sight, he would've made it ten times worse.

Maggie's knowing smirk was enough for them.

The two of them finally let out a breath as they left the gates and made their way through the thicket of trees surrounding them.

"Are we gonna get straight to sex or are we actually gonna hunt 'cause I'm starving."

Daryl let out a huff of laughter and looked at her amusingly. "We'll find somethin'."

The pair worked as the well oiled machine months of practice had made them. Daryl had taught her enough for her to get the gist of tracking. She wasn't very good, she doubted she'd be able to do it on her own, but at least she was light on her feet, unlike Glenn who just couldn't get the hang of it, no matter how much Daryl had scolded him.

It didn't take long for them to get a few squirrels and they knew they were set for the night.

Every couple of seconds they'd share knowing looks, each of them smiling, almost shyly at the notion of what they knew was coming soon. It was like it was their first time with how nervous and bashful they acted.

Rhiannon looked up at the clouds in the sky that looked to be getting dark with each passing second. It would only be a matter of time before it started to rain.

"How far's this place?" She asked, not thrilled at the thought of getting rained on.

"Not too much farther. Why, thought you liked the rain?"

"I do, just not when I'm wearing denim."

Daryl turned to face her, that signature smirk on his face. "I'll help you out of 'em."

Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise and she let out a delighted sounding laugh. "Daryl Dixon, holy shit. That was smooth."

Daryl bit his lip, her words making him feel shy. It wasn't often he pushed himself outside his comfort zone and became so vocal with his teasing, but whenever he did it made her smile so the risk was worth it.

The pair continued to walk in a comfortable silence. Rhiannon's mind began to wander and every couple of steps she would look over at Daryl and she began to worry her lip with her teeth.

Daryl noticed and raised a brow. "What?"

"Nothing." She answered quickly, which immediately had him on edge.

"What's goin' on?" He asked again, taking a step closer to her.

"When are you planning on going out again?" She asked bluntly, finally asking what had been on her mind since he'd come back.

"Dunno, haven't thought 'bout it."

"But you _are_ going out again, right?"

"Gotta. He's still out there."

Rhiannon sighed heavily and Daryl stopped her, stepping in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Rhiannon, I can't stop, not while he's still alive. I ain't gonna risk it."

"I don't think it's worth it. I can't risk _you_."

Daryl stayed silent. He knew they had differing opinions on this and that arguing about it would get them nowhere.

At this point, the rain had started to fall on them, slowly beginning to soak their hair and clothes.

"Daryl I know what this means to you but these last nine days have been hell. I can't live like that, wondering if I'm never gonna see you again."

"Rhi, I can't just-"

"I know. So let me go with you." She interrupted, taking a step forward and reaching out to grab his hands.

"Rhiannon." He warned sternly. He didn't want to have this argument again.

"I told you, this relationship is a two way street. You wouldn't let me do this on my own and I can't let you."

The words had a bigger impact on him than he thought they would. His stomach flipped with that familiar nervous feeling that was quite common during the beginning of their relationship.

Daryl sighed and reached out, brushing a piece of wet hair that was stuck to her cheek. "You scare the hell outta me, Darlin'." And he wouldn't have it any other way. He loved how determined and stubborn she was.

Rhiannon smiled and leaned forward, kissing him chastely.

Daryl was considering taking her right there in the forest, he was so caught up with the feeling of her against him when the loud crack of thunder made them jump apart.

Rhiannon smiled widely and Daryl shook his head, still finding her obsession with thunderstorms strange.

"C'mon, we're close."

He took her hand in his and together they rushed through the thicket of the forest to find the cabin he and Merle had come across.

By the time they'd finally found it just minutes later, their clothes were stuck to their skin and they were both shivering at the cold rain that continued to fall on them.

Daryl was the first up the porch steps, his crossbow raised as he approached the front door. He spared a look back, making sure Rhiannon was behind him as he stepped inside. Rhiannon paused for a few seconds to wring the water out of her hair before she followed behind him.

She was pleasantly surprised that Daryl had motioned he was going to check the back rooms, leaving her to clear the kitchen by herself. He was getting a lot better at dealing with the need to protect her, well, in some instances, not all of them.

Rhiannon was still shivering as she walked into the kitchen, sighing in relief when she saw it was empty. She didn't think she could fight very well with the way she was trembling.

She walked back to the front room to the closest she'd seen with the happiness of finding a gold mine, and pulled a couple blankets out for them.

She didn't waste anymore time as she wrapped a wool blanket around her like a cocoon. That was how Daryl found her and he couldn't hold back a smile at the sight of her disappearing into the thick blanket.

"What? I'm cold, don't laugh at me." Rhiannon whined, though she herself was laughing.

He quickly moved to the fireplace, pulling out his lighter to get it started.

Rhiannon stepped towards him and took her place on the carpet next to him. As soon as the fire was started Daryl moved in closer to her, having noticed her still shivering. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean against his chest.

He ran his hand up and down her arm, trying his best to warm her up.

Rhiannon looked up at him and the desire she saw in his gaze had her clenching her thighs together. It had been way too long since she'd been this close to him.

Daryl didn't waste any more time, he didn't think he was physically able to. He leaned down, crashing his lips to hers in a searing kiss. Rhiannon responded eagerly, getting up to her knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting the blanket fall off her shoulders. She didn't care that she was still cold and she had a feeling she wouldn't be for too much longer.

He let out a low growl, the anticipation making him feel jittery. His hands latched onto her waist and he pulled her into his lap, groaning loudly as she immediately began to grind her hips against his.

His hands found their way into her wet hair, making her smile against his lips. Her hands worked at the buttons of his shirt, peeling the damp fabric from his body. Her greedy hands pressed at his bare chest and down his stomach, earning her a shiver from the hunter, though she wondered if the cold had much to do with it too.

"I missed you." Rhiannon breathed out, already feeling at the brink of losing control.

Daryl nodded. "You got no idea how much I thought 'bout you." He whispered, his hands moving down the length of her back until he found the hem of her shirt.

Rhiannon regretfully moved her hands away from him to lift up her arms so he could take her shirt off her. His mouth found the top of her breasts immediately, making her gasp and grip onto his shoulders. It didn't take him long to get the final piece of clothing off her chest and she was left bare.

The way Daryl touched her set her skin alight with desire. She felt as though a fire was simmering within her and she couldn't handle this slow and deliberate process. She needed him now.

She pushed at his chest, making him lay down on the carpet below them. Daryl's breathing picked up, his chest heaving as she began to press heated kisses to his neck which moved down to his chest.

His hand once again found its usual place tangled in her hair as her lips trailed down his stomach until she reached his belt.

Her hands worked slowly and he groaned, his hips arching up in agitation. She gave him a teasing smile at his impatience, glad she wasn't the only one who was on edge.

"Rhiannon, c'mon. Please." He whined, too far gone to even feel embarrassed by his tone.

She smirked, finally taking pity on him and freed him from his confines. Her hand grasped him loosely, giving him lazy strokes. She watched with satisfaction as his body tensed, his jaw clenching, as a gasp left his lips at her touch.

"Darlin'." He warned, knowing exactly what she was doing and hoping she would understand just how crazy she was driving him and stop teasing him.

"What?" She asked innocently as if she didn't know what he wanted.

"Please." He moaned, bucking his hips up into her grip.

Rhiannon bit her lip, feeling herself getting so worked up at the sound of his pleading. She still couldn't believe that she could do that to him. She leaned down, not wasting anymore time, and took him into her mouth.

Daryl let out a harsh breath, his hand tightening in her hair, pulling slightly. He let out a string of moaned curses as she bobbed her head on his length.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his head thrown back against the floor as she swirled her tongue in a way that always left him feeling weak in the knees. Rhiannon's hands found his waist, holding him down after his hips had bucked upwards. The small act of dominance she showed had him reeling and he let out a loud, drawn out moan.

Rhiannon doubled her efforts and he began to pant harshly, his hands pulling at her hair roughly.

"Rhi, I'm - fuck." He moaned, his jaw falling slack as her hand circled at the base of his cock, adding to the sensations that drove him wild.

"Holy fuck, darlin', you gotta stop. I'm gonna cum." He panted, grasping her hair tighter to try and pull her off.

She eyed him sharply and shook her head, taking him even deeper into her mouth. Daryl's mouth fell open, a gasp escaping him and his eyes fluttered shut. It only took a couple more strokes of her tongue until he was arching up from the floor, his hips bucking wildly and a gruff cry escaping as he spilled into her mouth.

Rhiannon moaned against his length that twitched with his release. Daryl shivered at the feeling and a low whine left him, beginning to feel overstimulated.

He whispered her name, slurring from the delirious pleasure she'd given him. Rhiannon swallowed everything he gave her and pulled her mouth away, though her hand continued to lightly stroke him, reveling in the way he trembled against her with each motion.

"Stop, 's too much." He panted, running his hand over his blushing face.

Rhiannon crawled on top of him, watching him try to catch his breath. She pressed a soft kiss to his throat which was quivering with each breath he took.

His arm lazily slung over her waist, pressing her closer to him. He looked up at her, blushing even harder when he saw her pleased smile.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers softly, his body still recovering. Rhiannon pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

"Feeling good?" She asked, holding back a teasing smirk.

Daryl snorted. "Like you don't know."

Finally regaining strength in his legs, he moved them backwards, now hovering above her. He kissed her heatedly, his hands roaming every inch of her skin he could find. He hastily moved to the button of her jeans and Rhiannon smiled, letting out a small giggle as he struggled with pulling the wet material off her legs.

Daryl looked down at her intently, smirking as he finally got rid of her jeans. He felt himself twitch back to life as she looked up at him with desire.

He quickly pulled the last piece of fabric off, leaving her bare underneath him. He kissed her hungrily, making her moan and wrap her arms around his back to hold him to her.

Daryl moved his hand down and without any more preamble, he plunged two fingers into her wet heat, smiling at the gasp it drew from his girl. He continued to kiss her heatedly, his cock getting harder with each moan that escaped Rhiannon as he curled his fingers inside her.

She threw her head back, giving Daryl ample opportunity to latch onto her neck, sucking harshly, making her hips rise off the floor, desperate for more.

He moved down her body, his tongue trailing down her breasts and her stomach until he reached what he was craving for. He moved his arm under her thigh, lifting her up to meet his mouth.

Rhiannon shuddered, her hands scrabbling for purchase on the carpet below her as his tongue met her core.

"Oh god, Daryl." She moaned, reaching to grip his hair as he devoured her. His fingers and tongue moved faster making her curse loudly and let out a whine.

All too soon, she began to feel close to her end. Daryl knew exactly how to pull her apart. Her chest heaved and her back arched upwards, making Daryl groan at the sight before him.

She pulled at his hair, crying out his name loudly as she climaxed. Her body wracked with shivers and she let out a pathetic sounding gasp as he moved his fingers out of her and replaced them with his tongue.

He moved his arms under her so her thighs rested over his shoulders as he continued to pleasure her.

She began to feel almost light headed as he kept going, barely giving her any time to come down from her first height of pleasure.

"Daryl, Daryl, uhh, fuck, I'm-" She moaned desperately, her words cutting off with a shriek as he found that place that made her squirm beneath him.

Rhiannon was on the brink of her second orgasm when he suddenly stopped and pulled away from her. She whined, her hips wriggling in an effort to coax him back to her. Daryl was breathing heavily as he looked down at her, his eyes light with intense desire. He was standing at attention again, her noises having brought him back to life.

He sat up, gripping her tightly to pull her up into his lap. Rhiannon desperately grasped onto his hard cock and sank down onto him, making them both let out shaking breaths.

Rhiannon, already so close to being pushed over the edge, began to move her hips frantically. Daryl growled, his grip tightening on her hips to the point where she knew she'd have bruises in the morning.

She panted heavily, her moans getting louder each time she moved down on him. Daryl's loud breaths in her ear that turned into heavy groans had shivers running down her spine.

"Fuck, Rhiannon." He breathed out, his eyes squeezing shut as she moved against him rapidly.

His hand moved up her back to grip onto her shoulders, his one hand finding its way into her hair.

Rhiannon let out a filthy sounding moan as her neck arched as he pulled at her locks roughly. Her hips bucked against his, her rhythm stuttering as an intense orgasm tore through her. She yelled loudly, barely giving any thought to the potential dangers of them not checking their volume.

Daryl held her onto her tightly as she shuddered against him, feeling his own end coming closer at the sound of her screaming his name.

She felt dizzy and her hips slowed, but Daryl picked up the slack quickly. He moved her so she was on her back again and he continued to thrust inside her frantically.

She reached out, grasping onto his arms weakly as he moved with such force, she jolted against the carpet with each of his thrusts.

"C'mon, darlin'. You got one more for me, I know you do." He said breathlessly, the low growl of his voice making her clench her walls around him and wrap her legs over his hips. His thrusts stuttered and he moaned desperately at the feeling.

Rhiannon gasped with each thrust, her nails digging into his skin, making Daryl hiss between clenched teeth at the slight pain.

She whispered his name reverently, like a prayer, and begged him not to stop. Her voice had Daryl letting a whine slip past his parted lips. It always drove him crazy hearing her and knowing he could make her feel so good.

It only took a few more hard thrusts before Rhiannon was arching up off the floor, her arms moving around Daryl's back to hold onto him tightly as she gasped and moaned with her release.

Daryl growled as she clenched tighter around him and he gripped onto her hair, growling her name in warning.

She gasped as he moved even faster in his final moments. A loud shout left him and his face contorted in a beautiful display of absolute euphoria. His forehead leaned against hers and her hands reached up to cradle his head as his body shook.

His hips slowed, riding out the last waves of his intense orgasm, until he stopped. Rhiannon dragged her fingers through his damp hair soothingly as he calmed down.

Daryl slowly moved her to lay back down and rolled to the side, not wanting to crush her. Rhiannon let her eyes fall close as she caught her breath and willed her limbs to stop quivering.

The two of them were left in a silence that was no longer stifled with sexual tension. They were both exhausted in the most satisfying way possible.

Rhiannon was seconds away from falling asleep when she felt herself being lifted up off the ground. Her eyes flew open and her arms moved to grip onto his neck as he carried her to the couch across the room.

Daryl laid her down and found his place next to her. He reached down, grabbing the blanket they'd abandoned long ago and draped it over the two of them.

"You better remember this moment next time you wanna leave for nine days." Rhiannon mumbled tiredly, snuggling up against him, pressing a lazy kiss to his neck.

Daryl, still feeling his body trembling slightly, held her close and smiled.

"You really think I'd ever leave you after _that_?"

Rhiannon laughed lightly. "Good answer." She mumbled, happy to be cradled in his arms again.


	57. Chapter 57

Rhiannon sighed happily and leaned back against the comfy cushions of the couch. She wished they could take this thing back to the prison. She was getting tired of those metal benches. She stretched out her tired muscles, feeling a pleasurable ache between her legs.

The night of peace with just the two of them had been well overdue.

She rolled over on her side, smiling down at Daryl as he sat on the floor in front of her, devouring his way through his second helping with his back rested against the couch.

He ate messily, as he always did, but his attention diverted when he felt fingers running through his hair. He smiled lightly and leaned his head back to look at her.

"We should be getting back soon." She mused tiredly as she absentmindedly played with his shaggy hair that was getting longer each day.

They hadn't meant to spend the entire night away from the prison, but they couldn't keep their hands off each other. They hadn't even bothered putting their clothes back on for the rest of the night.

Daryl hummed in response, his eyes falling closed at the intoxicating feeling of her hands in his hair. He could probably fall asleep like this. It wasn't until she tugged on his hair teasingly that his eyes opened and he sent her a warning look, getting a satisfied smirk in response.

He finished eating quickly but instead of getting up to collect their things so they could make the trek back to the prison, he stayed in his place, letting himself relax completely at her touch.

"When did you know that we were gonna be what we are to each other?" She asked suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence.

"What do you mean?"

"When did you know that we weren't just friends, that we _couldn't_ be just friends?"

"Rick said 'meet Rhiannon'." He shrugged.

Rhiannon laughed and nudged his shoulder with her foot. "Bullshit. You hated me that first day. Fuck, maybe that first week."

"Ain't true."

Rhiannon raised a brow, silently motioning for him to continue. Daryl bit his lip and looked down bashfully. He didn't like talking about the farm much. Yes, it was where they had met and fell for each other, but it was also where he had hurt her. He still regretted how he'd lashed out at her, even after all this time.

"Never hated you. Was scared of you. Before, when I was asshole, people would just ignore me, let me keep doin' what I was doin'. But you, you never let me get away with that shit. You just gave it right back to me."

Rhiannon eyes softened and she smiled lightly, glad that her hard work had paid off. It wasn't easy getting close to him but it was so worth it.

"That night I got hurt, was laid up in your bed and you gave me shit for yellin' at you earlier, that was when I knew I was doomed."

"I knew that night, too." She admitted quietly. "After Shane…" She trailed off, unable to repeat what he'd done to her that night, how he'd threatened her. "You were ready to kill him, didn't even want me walking down the hall by myself. No one's ever protected me the way you have."

Daryl looked up at her intently, his heart beating faster at the way she was looking back at him.

"Actually, it might have been the first second I saw you. Saw those arms and knew I couldn't let you get away." She teased, biting her lip.

Daryl gave her a playful scowl but it quickly morphed into a smile he couldn't contain. "Such a goddamn tease." He muttered. He quickly sat up on his knees and leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers which muffled the laugh she let out at his urgency.

They made out like teenagers, both reveling in the closeness they'd be deprived of as soon as they were back at the prison.

Rhiannon smiled through the kiss, tightening her grip on his shoulders. She had found the best thing she'd ever had, had fallen in love in a way she only thought was possible in movies, and it only took the end of the world.

* * *

Carol was hanging up the laundry on the makeshift clothesline they'd made. Her mind wandered as she worked, leaving her to gaze out the fences in thought.

It wasn't until she saw two familiar figures emerging from the woods that she was snapped out of her daydream. She smiled, almost like a reflex, when she saw them. Rhiannon was holding Daryl's bow across her shoulder while he carried a buck over his.

Rhiannon was talking animatedly while Daryl listened with a smile, occasionally chiming in. She could see even from where she stood how relaxed they both were.

Carol sometimes still couldn't believe that she was looking at the same man she'd met in Atlanta.

She was just glad to see him so happy. She knew little about his past but she at lest knew the love and affection Rhiannon gave him was long overdue.

Carol wanted to laugh as a small crowd formed around them as they entered the gates. No doubt, people thanking them for bringing back the gold mine that was a huge buck. Daryl looked uncomfortable as people praised him and within a second, Rhiannon had her hand on his back, the subtle affection giving him the reassurance he needed in an awkward situation.

Carol smiled warmly at the couple as they approached, finally free of the Woodbury people, or 'vultures', as Daryl called them.

"Looks like you guys had success."

"Yeah, got some squirrels, too." Daryl said out of breath as he finally relieved his shoulders of the heavy animal.

Carol nodded. "So, successful in more ways than one?"

Daryl and Rhiannon's eyes simultaneously narrowed at the double entendre of her words.

"Jealous?" Rhiannon retorted sarcastically, figuring the only way to get through Carol's teasing was to make a joke of it.

Daryl looked down at her with eyes wide in warning. "Don't." He whispered. He didn't want her calling even more attention to Carol's not-so-subtle jests.

"Hey!" A loud voice called out, interrupting their conversation. The three of them turned to see Merle striding towards them, his face drawn tightly with anger. "Where the fuck you been?"

"Out." Daryl shrugged, his brows furrowed in confusion by Merle's outburst.

"You go on a damn retreat to fuck your girlfriend and don't tell nobody?"

"Told Rick and Maggie."

"Well they didn't tell me. Don't be so fuckin' stupid next time." Merle snarled and stomped off without another word.

Daryl rolled his eyes and turned back to Carol. "Shit, he been like that the whole time?"

"There was a little spat when he didn't know where you were, but once Rick told him he calmed down. Been keeping to himself a lot."

"He and Glenn haven't spoken at all?" Rhiannon asked tentatively, she wouldn't be too surprised if they told her there was another blowout between them.

Carol shook her head. "Like I said, he's been keeping to himself. Hasn't said much of anything."

Rhiannon looked up at Daryl when he stayed silent. She could tell he was thinking hard. Even she was quite taken aback by Carol's words. It wasn't like Merle to keep his mouth shut. She could see Daryl had a lot on his mind, the tension between Merle and the group was getting to him and neither of them knew how to resolve it.

She could tell he needed time to think.

"I'm gonna find my dad, let him know we're back." She told him, placing her hand on his arm comfortingly.

Daryl nodded, his softened expression finding hers. He gave her a grateful look and watched as she walked away and into the prison. He was amazed that she could read him so well. She knew when he needed space to think.

Carol looked at him curiously, noticing how tense he was. "I think Merle was just worried about you."

Daryl just scoffed. "Merle just worries 'bout Merle."

Carol gave him a pointed look. "He's your brother. Is it really that much of a stretch to believe he cares about you? I mean, he's still here, isn't he? He's trying, for you."

Daryl bit his lip, contemplating what Carol was saying, but he honestly couldn't think about Merle for too long. It always got his head messed up with how complicated things were.

"Hey." Rick smiled, coming up behind him and clapping a hand to his shoulder, a gesture that used to make him flinch. "Glad to see you back."

Daryl nodded, his lip quirking up in barely there smile, something Rick was used to. He moved to start working on the buck but Rick stopped him.

"Before you do that, can you two come inside? I need to talk to y'all."

"What's going on?" Carol asked, her face creased with worry.

"Nothing bad, just somethin' I need to run by everyone."

Daryl nodded and followed Rick inside without any questions. He smiled, Rhiannon sitting with her sisters the first thing he saw when he stepped inside. He took a seat next to her, his knee nudging against hers.

"Everyone here?" Rick asked, taking a seat at the table with them. It was just their family who was crowded around the table, the people that had been surviving together for over a year now.

"Is something wrong?" Hershel asked, looking to their leader in concern.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm stepping down as leader."

There was a beat of silence as everyone took in Rick's blunt statement before a string of exclamations erupted at once.

"Ok, ok, calm down." Rick said over the noise, holding his hand up in surrender. "It's something I've been thinking about for awhile now. This place _is_ a democracy, that's the only way it can work. I can't be the only one making the tough decisions. You're all capable of leading this place."

Rhiannon gave Rick a reassuring smile, having been the only person he'd come to with his suggestion. He smiled lightly, glad that the shocked yelling had stopped and his family was looking at him with understanding.

"So... we pick a new leader?" Beth asked as she bounced baby Judith on her knee.

"Doesn't have to be just one person. There can be a group of people making decisions together."

"Like a city council?" Hershel inquired and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Who do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping you." Rick said with a smile. Hershel looked surprised but nodded, accepting the offer.

"I'm in." Glenn spoke up.

"Me too." Carol interjected.

"Daryl?" Rick asked, looking to the hunter who had stayed quiet this whole time.

The man in question looked up, his usually stoic expression showing just how caught off guard he was by Rick's offer. "You want me on the council?" He asked incredulously.

Rhiannon smiled up at him and placed a hand on his knee, squeezing comfortingly. She hated the doubt she heard in his voice.

"We could use your expertise." Rick stated simply. "You up for it?"

"Sure." Daryl shrugged casually, but Rhiannon could see through his careless demeanor. She knew he was touched by the offer and the knowledge that he was needed, that he actually brought something to the group, something he'd struggled with believing for so long.

Daryl looked down shyly and his eyes briefly met hers, the proud look in her eyes only serving to make him feel all the more bashful.

"Rhiannon?"

Her smile fell and she whipped her head around to look at Rick. "Huh?"

Rick let out a laugh at the look of confusion on her face. He gave her a knowing look and she suddenly let out a loud laugh.

"Uh, no thanks." She said, still laughing slightly. "I'm not exactly the leader type."

"Seriously?"

"What about Michonne? Or Sasha? They go on a lot of runs, they could be helpful." She offered, diverting the attention from herself.

"Alright, I'll talk to them about it." Rick said slowly, confused that she'd refused his offer. She'd always been someone he went to for advice, he didn't know why she wouldn't want to have any part of the council.

The rest of the talk went smoothly, everyone agreeing with the new way of things at the prison, and soon the intense group chat was disbanded.

Rhiannon stood from her seat and moved to make her way up to her cell when an hand on her arm pulled her back. Her brows furrowed and she looked back at Daryl questioningly.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"You shootin' Rick down. If you ain't on the council then I shouldn't-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Dixon." Rhiannon interrupted swiftly, giving him a pointed look. "You're a good leader, you took charge when Rick couldn't, everyone saw that. We all know you can do it."

"Well what 'bout you? You're every bit a leader as I am." Daryl argued and Rhiannon was touched by his genuine confusion and aggravation over the matter.

"I dunno, I just don't want to. Being a leader is just never something I thought about."

Daryl paused, still looking at her intently with that expression of disbelief, like he didn't really believe her reasoning, or at least understand it.

"I think you'd be good at it." He admitted with a shrug.

Rhiannon smiled softly and reached out, taking his hands in hers. "I think _you_ will be good at it." Seeing that Daryl was still unconvinced, she sighed heavily. "Who knows, maybe one day I'll change my mind. If they keep you away from me for too long I won't be able to help myself."

Daryl nodded, his eyes softening as he realized he wouldn't be completely alone in this. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You should go talk to Merle. He seemed upset." She offered, effectively ruining the moment between them.

"If Merle wanted to talk about it, he'd come to me. If I mention anything he won't talk."

Rhiannon huffed out a weak laugh. "Remind you of anyone?"

Daryl looked at her unamused at being compared to his brother. He knew things used to be rocky, _he_ used to be erratic just like Merle, but that was a long time ago. He hates thinking about it.

The sour look on his face had Rhiannon biting back a smile.

"Don't worry, you're cuter than him."

"Stop." Daryl groaned, though his lips were quirking upwards in the slightest hint of a smile.

* * *

Rhiannon had just finished tidying up their cell when Maggie poked her head in, a shy smile on her face.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course. Is everything ok?" Rhiannon frowned before her face dropped and her eyes flashed with anger. "Is it that bitch, Chrissy? She already overstaying her welcome?"

Maggie laugh lightly, her sister's fierce protectiveness amusing her. "No, nothing like that. I've managed to avoid her."

Rhiannon nodded, she liked to think her threats had something to do with that.

"So what's going on?"

Maggie hesitated and began fiddling with her fingers nervously. "Uhh, I was, it was…" She sighed in defeat and abandoned her sentence, opting to look down at her feet.

"Maggie?" Rhiannon prodded nervously. She sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her.

Maggie, still stiff as stone, took a seat beside her and immediately, her foot began to tap on the floor anxiously.

"When you and Daryl…you know, when you guys are..."

"Fucking?" Rhiannon finished bluntly and Maggie's cheeks flashed pink.

"Has it ever- has _he_ ever had...trouble?"

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she had to fight hard not to show her immaturity and start giggling like a teenager.

"You and Glenn...he couldn't…"

"It happened _once_ but he was really upset about it. He hasn't even talked to me today, he's so embarrassed."

Rhiannon scrunched her nose in distaste. She loved Glenn like he was her brother, she certainly didn't want to hear that he couldn't get it up.

"He's probably just stressed."

"That's what I told him, but he still ran out. Spent the night in the guard tower." Maggie told her quietly, still ringing her hands together.

"It's a common thing, he shouldn't be upset."

"So it's happened to you and Daryl?"

Rhiannon clasped her lips together and looked up at her sister with a wide eyed, innocent expression. She winced as Maggie sighed in annoyance and turned away from her.

"I'm sorry. He's never had any trouble… getting motivated." She explained, her eyes holding a far away look as she thought of their night together. She blushed, realizing now wasn't the time to reminisce.

Maggie looked disheartened by her answer and she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact. Rhiannon frowned, her eyes narrowing as she scooted closer to her sister.

"This isn't a reflection on you. Don't even go there. I know you're smarter than that." Rhiannon assured her.

"No, no, I know. I just-"

"Can't help but wonder." Rhiannon finished. She placed an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into her side. "Just talk to him. Being awkward and dancing around each other isn't gonna solve anything."

"I know, I just don't wanna get shot down again. He's embarrassed, once he's over that he can come talk to me."

Rhiannon nodded, understanding her logic. She suddenly laughed. "Never thought I could actually have an adult conversation about this kind of stuff."

Maggie snorted. "Believe me, no one's more surprised than me. Took awhile for me to even come to you, figured you'd laugh in my face."

"I'd never do that. Behind your back, sure, but never in your face."

Maggie laughed again, nudging her with her elbow playfully. "Just don't tell Glenn I told you, ok? He'd probably die of embarrassment."

Rhiannon grimaced. "Trust me, talking to Glenn about his junk isn't top of my to do list."

In the ironic way life works, the man in question strolled into her cell. "Hey, Rhi, have you seen- Oh, there you are." Glenn smiled at Maggie shyly.

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she bit her lip to hold back her smile. Maggie looked like a deer caught in headlights as she stared at her husband, looking guilty like a child who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"What?" Glenn asked, confused as to why both women were looking at him, slightly horrified, and amused - on Rhiannon's part. His eyes suddenly widened as he clued in to what the women were just discussing. "You told her?" He yelled, feeling just as horrified as they looked.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do." Maggie defended, her voice rising with hysteria.

"Glenn, relax. It's not a big deal." Rhiannon told him, trying to calm him down from this very awkward situation she had the unfortunate luck of being apart of. "And if it makes you feel any better, I don't want me to know this either."

Glenn rolled his eyes at her attempt to humor him and looked at her plainly, clearly unamused. "Let's agree to never talk about this, ok?"

"Deal."

Glenn nodded and turned his gaze to Maggie. He looked like he wanted to say something but he shut his mouth and sent her a tired look before turning and stepping out of the cell.

Maggie's shoulders slumped and she groaned loudly in frustration. "Well, there goes my chance to solve this peacefully."

"He'll get over it. Guys are just really weird when it come to the opposite sex knowing intimate details about them."

"What do I do now?"

"Well, you guys have never had a problem in that department. You've been doing it since day one." Rhiannon teased and Maggie had the audacity to look embarrassed, even after everything that had been said in the last five minutes.

"Maggie, I think this is just circumstantial. There's a lot going on, a lot of new people. He's still pissed at Merle and not to mention, there's dead people walking around. Of course he's gonna be stressed. Just try again."

"So what, I seduce him?"

"If that's what it takes. Seduce him, tease him, tie him up, whatever gets you guys going."

Maggie's eyes widened and flashed with amusement as she turned to look at her older sister in shock.

"Tie him up? Is that what you and Daryl do?"

Rhiannon laughed and shrugged. "Never tried it, but you never know."

"Don't know if he'd be into that thing, but…" She exhaled loudly. "I guess it doesn't hurt to try again."

Rhiannon smiled softly, glad that she could calm her sister down.

"Thanks for this."

"Of course. But just so you know, I won't forgive you for bringing me into this."

Maggie laughed loudly, finally getting up from her spot next to her. "Yeah, sorry about that. Love you."

"Love you too." Rhiannon called out as Maggie was already on her way out. She sighed and fell back onto the bed.

 _No, Daryl definitely did not have that problem,_ she thought wistfully, a sickly sweet smirk growing as she let her mind wander to her man that drove her wild.

* * *

Rhiannon was loading the trunk of the car with gear, preparing for the coming run, when she felt eyes on her. She looked up, noticing Daryl's eyes locked on her calculatingly, not even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at her so intently.

"What?" She asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

He shook his head, continuing to place ammo in the glove box up front.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Daryl bit at his lip, his eyes moving over to hers again. "You wearin' your hair up."

"It's _half_ up." She stressed, fiddling with the many strands of hair that hung down from the weak bun she was able to manage with her short hair.

"Right." He drawled, a small smile forming.

"Who knew you could be so picky."

"Ain't picky. Like all of it."

"Yeah, but if you keep up like you are, I'll be bald in a few years time."

"You'd still be hot as hell." He told her simply, looking pleased but also bashful at his teasing words.

Rhiannon laughed loudly and shook her head. "You got low standards, Dixon."

Daryl smirked and moved his attention back to what he was supposed to be doing. Rhiannon stole a glance at him, feeling nothing but love as she looked at him, and continued with what she was doing.

She suddenly felt hands squeeze at her ass and hot breath on her neck. "Think we can make time for a quickie?" The voice whispered in her ear.

Rhiannon stumbled, getting out of the mystery grip and she spun on her heel, ready to knock out whoever it was that touched her. Her eyes widened in horror and her face contorted in disgust as she stared back at Glenn whose eyes went wide with equal horror.

"Holy shit. Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to touch that - you there!" He stammered, his voice rising to a pitch she'd never heard.

Daryl slammed the door shut, his brows furrowing at what he heard and made his way around the car, his steely glare locked on Glenn who looked almost ready to pass out.

"The fuck's goin' on?" He snarled, looking at the man accusatory.

"I-I thought she was Maggie, I swear, I didn't meant to-"

"You touch her?" He demanded, taking a threatening step forward, but Rhiannon stopped him, standing in front of him to block his path.

"Daryl, relax. He didn't know it was me."

"I didn't, I swear." Glenn pleaded.

Daryl just continued glaring at the man in front of him. Things had been tense between them ever since that run when Merle had opted to walk home alone and Glenn had put his foot in his mouth.

They hadn't spoken since then and Daryl was still pissed at him.

"Come on, you gotta admit, it's kinda funny." Rhiannon said with a smile, trying to ease the tension, but Daryl just looked down at her, his scowl never wavering.

"I'm sorry." Glenn repeated.

"Don't worry about it. Although I think you need your eyes checked."

Glenn nodded, still looking agitated, but one look at Daryl, who was still pissed, had him walking away.

Rhiannon watched him go with a frown and she turned to face Daryl.

"What the hell was that?"

"He grabbed you." Daryl growled angrily and Rhiannon rolled her eyes.

"It was an accident. Jesus, Daryl, it's Glenn, he didn't mean anything by it. You really think he'd do that to Maggie?"

Daryl sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as he relaxed, but his face stayed twisted in anger.

"Hey," Rhiannon called out, taking his hands in hers. "I'm fine. What's gotten into you?"

She knew Daryl could be protective and a little possessive, but not like this. If it had been one of those douchebags he'd brought back yesterday that had touched her, she could understand his anger. But it was Glenn, it was a funny mistake, she didn't know why he was so worked up about it.

"Daryl?" She pressed again when he'd stayed silent.

"Just annoyed." He shrugged.

"With Glenn? About what he said on that run?"

"I guess."

Daryl's vague answer had her sighing in annoyance.

"Daryl, you have to let that go. I know he feels bad about it, he didn't really mean it, and _I_ know it."

"Just pisses me off."

"I know it does, but you two are friends, you can't glare at him everytime he opens his mouth."

"Or touches my girl." He added, his voice sounding fierce.

"Oh my god, Daryl, it was a mistake."

Daryl brought her closer so they were nose to nose, well, as much as they could be with their significant height difference, and his arms wrapped around her waist.

"No one but me touches you like that." He growled deeply and Rhiannon had to hold back a shiver.

She bit her lip, her mind yelling at her to drag him into their cell and have her way with him. She leaned up on her toes and pressed a slow kiss to his lips.

"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me."

They pulled away abruptly and looked at Merle who was standing behind them, looking annoyed.

"Can we go now or do you two wanna keep suckin' face?"

Rhiannon noticed Michonne and Sasha behind him and she blushed deeply. "Nope, we're ready to go." She squeaked out and without another look at Daryl, she made her way to the passenger seat.

She smiled widely as Daryl got into the driver's seat next to her, his face still flushed. He looked over, feeling her gaze on him. He gave her a warning look, but she could see the hint of amusement in his eyes.

It was a long drive to the warehouse they were going to scavenge. Rhiannon kept looking in the rearview mirror, almost like she was checking up on Merle who was in the back next to Michonne. That wasn't exactly a match made in heaven but at least he wasn't next to Glenn.

That would've been a bloodbath for sure.

After an hour long drive, Daryl stopped the car a few hundred yards before the warehouse came into view. "We'll walk from here."

Everyone followed suite and got out of the car, grabbing their weapons and bags. The group walked idly, sharing no words amongst them. The air around them thick with tension as they got closer.

Daryl's pace faltered when he heard a familiar noise. "You hear that?" He asked, sharing a look with Merle who was leading the group with him.

He looked back at the others behind him, silently motioning for them to slow down.

Rhiannon looked at him nervously and quickened her pace so she was walking in tandem with him.

"What's going on?" She asked quietly. Daryl didn't answer, but he took a subconscious step closer to her as they approached the warehouse and the unmistakable sounds of walkers became louder.

They peered around the corner and their hearts dropped at the sight in front of them.

"Shit." Rhiannon hissed, almost stumbling as Daryl pushed her back from view of the walkers that crowded the front of the building.

"What do we do?" Glenn asked, his worried eyes shifting from body to body. There were too many for them to take out. Even with the group, it was risky.

"We gotta get 'em away from there. Use the cars, get their attention, lure them away." Daryl explained, not taking his eyes off the scene in front of them.

"I'll do it." Rhiannon said straightforwardly.

Daryl spun on his heel, his scowled face meeting hers. "No fuckin' way." He spat out immediately.

"Daryl-"

"No! You ain't goin' alone."

"I'll go with her." Michonne spoke up, her face stone like with determination.

Rhiannon turned to face her, her face slack with surprise. "You sure?"

"Yeah. We'll be fine." She said, now looking at Daryl to reassure him.

"Alright, let's go."

"Hey, good luck." Glenn told her, giving her arm a comforting squeeze.

"You too."

She was about to start walking back to the car with Michonne when Daryl stopped her, his hand grasping onto hers tightly. He looked nervous, his eyes wild with panic. Being separated was the last thing he wanted to happen.

He reached for the gun in the waistband of his jeans and handed it to her, but she immediately began to refuse, shaking her head.

"No, Daryl, I can't leave you without-"

"Rhiannon, please. Take it." He demanded sternly, though she could hear the way his voice faltered slightly.

She sighed deeply, relenting, and taking the gun from him.

"Just…" He trailed off, not knowing exactly the words to use when saying goodbye to the woman he loved in a life or death situation.

"I know." Rhiannon told him, knowing exactly the kind of turmoil he was feeling because she was feeling it right along with him.

He sighed heavily, his head dropping.

"We'll circle around and wait for you guys." She told him, looking back at the others that were respectfully looking away from their display of affection.

She started walking backwards, keeping her eyes locked on him, until their hands slipped from each others, dropping at their sides.

"See you soon."

Daryl nodded, giving her one last look of longing before moving back to the others as they started to make a plan, though his eyes moved to Rhiannon's retreating figure every couple of seconds until she was out of sight.

Back at the car, Rhiannon was almost frantic as she fiddled with putting the right key in the ignition. She knew she was probably being a little ridiculous, acting like they were going off to war and never seeing each other again, but with the way of the world you just didn't know what could happen. Freak accidents happened even before everything went to shit.

When the roar of the engine sounded, she looked over at Michonne.

"You ready?"

"Whenever you are." Michonne told her. She looked like the epitome of calm, but Rhiannon could see the way her hands held onto her katana that was strewn across her lap tightly.

Rhiannon started driving, making sure to keep her eyes forward and focused, especially when they passed the others. She worried if she saw those blue eyes, she'd cave and run back to him.

She pulled the car to a stop in front of the parking lot of the warehouse and rolled the windows down. Reaching for her ipod, she exhaled loudly, sparing another glance at Michonne. No backing out now.

Crouched behind an abandoned van, waiting for the lot to clear, the rest of the group sat. Daryl's fists were clenched, his body vibrating with anticipation. Suddenly the blaring sound of The Sex Pistols tore through the silence.

Daryl wanted to smile at her choice in music, but he was still on edge, his body growing even more tense as he watched the car slowly move forward, the dozens of walkers following after it.

Back in the car, Rhiannon's knuckles were white as she gripped onto the steering wheel, her eyes moving to the rear view mirror every couple of seconds to keep an eye on the crowd behind them.

The two women drove in silence, with only the sound of the music to pass the time.

"How far do you think we should go?"

Michonne shrugged. "I dunno, maybe a few more minutes?"

Rhiannon nodded and her fingers began to tap on the wheel nervously.

"Why did you volunteer to do this?" Michonne asked suddenly.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you seem pretty agitated being away from Daryl."

Rhiannon felt embarrassed that they were so transparent. She didn't want to be one of those couples that were insufferable to other people.

"Yeah, I guess we could stand to relax a little. I just don't really think twice when stuff like this happens." Rhiannon answered and looked over at the woman, her eyes narrowed as she looked at her curiously. "Why did you volunteer?"

"You shouldn't have to do this alone." She answered casually. "Daryl certainly wouldn't let that happen." She added, smiling slightly in jest.

"Right." Rhiannon smiled.

"By the way, I wanted to thank you." Michonne spoke up and Rhiannon looked at her questioningly. "Rick invited me to join the council. Said it was your idea."

"Thought you'd be good at it. And they could use at least one girl with a sword."

Michonne smiled, something Rhiannon had seen only a couple of times. She was glad the woman that had been so mysterious at first was finally relaxing around them and letting them in.

"I'm glad you decided to stay. I know things were rocky at first, but I think you found your place with us, we're all glad this worked out." Rhiannon told her, a warm smile on her face.

Michonne was taken aback at her honesty. She'd never met someone that just said whatever was on their mind, good or bad. She was touched by her words.

"I'm glad I decided to stay too." She responded quietly, feeling slightly out of her element getting this close to someone. Things with Rhiannon were venturing into friendship territory and she hadn't had that since Andrea, which was still an open wound for her. But despite that, Michonne was thankful for Rhiannon for trying so hard.

* * *

In the store, the group worked as fast as they could, gathering the things they needed. Glenn moved to the front, his bag already filled.

"Parking lot's still clear. Whenever you guys are ready, we're good to go." He called out to the others.

Daryl was moving at lightning speed, shoving whatever he could find into his bag with no order. He hated being separated, especially knowing there were dozens of walkers on her tail.

"Uhh, guys? I think we have a problem."

The sound of Glenn's nervous voice had him raising his head and he moved to the front of the store. He was about to ask what was wrong when he saw it. Two cars pulling up front and burly men stepping out with automatic rifles slung over their shoulders.

They didn't look the friendly type.

"Fuck." He swore through gritted teeth.

It wasn't a new occurrence, dealing with a group of walkers or new people that could potentially be enemies, it was just plain bad luck that they were dealing with both on the same run.

"C'mon, we'll go out the back." Daryl whispered. "

Daryl and Glenn moved as fast as they could to meet Merle and Sasha, thankfully, finding them near the back of the store.

"Get your shit, we gotta go."

"What's going on?" Sasha asked, her hand automatically moving to the knife on her belt.

"People outside. Ain't the type we wanna make friends with neither. Gotta get out before they find us."

Merle's face darkened and he moved, leading the others to the back door. They were still winding their way through the aisles when they heard the doors open and the sound of boots squeaking on the tile.

They all stopped in their places, holding their breath to avoid making even the slightest bit of noise. Daryl held his bow in his hands tightly and motioned for them to crouch down.

He leaned in so they could hear his low voice.

"I'll stay here, make some noise to draw 'em this way so you guys can make it to the back door."

"No way." Merle whispered harshly, glaring at his little brother.

"We can't risk these pricks followin' us."

"Then I'll do it."

Glenn sighed, they really didn't have time to argue about this. "Daryl stay here, Merle you go to the left. Both of you make noise, it'll confuse them and give you enough time for _both_ of you to get out."

Daryl hesitated before nodding, he knew they were running out of time. When he looked at Glenn, there was no longer any contempt or simmering anger in his gaze. Glenn nodded back, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Good luck." He whispered and his eyes drifted over to Merle for barely a second before taking Sasha by the hand and leading her to the back of the store.

The Dixon brothers shared a meaningful look that either of them were too emotionally stunted to think deeper about.

"You ready?" Merle asked and Daryl nodded with a determination that matched his brother's before they separated.

* * *

Rhiannon stopped the car where it had been parked the first time and turned off the music that had been turned down significantly since ditching the walkers.

She and Michonne got out and walked towards the store to wait for the others. They both tensed simultaneously, drawing their weapons when they heard rapid footsteps coming towards them.

Glenn and Sasha turned the corner and jumped back in surprise when they saw two swords up, ready to swing at them.

"Holy shit." Sasha swore, giving them both a tired look.

"Where's Daryl and Merle?" Rhiannon asked immediately, her heart dropping to her feet at their absence.

"They're still in the store. People came by, they were distracting them so we could get out." Glenn explained, feeling guilty that he'd even agreed to the plan. Hearing it back, it sounded so stupid.

"What?" Rhiannon exclaimed and before Glenn could explain any further, she was pushing past him to get to the store, but he held her back. "Let me go!" She yelled, trying to squirm out of him grip, but he wouldn't let up.

"Rhiannon, you can't."

"Glenn, I'm serious, let me go! I can't let him do this."

"We can't just leave them there." Michonne spoke up, trying to mediate before it got out of hand and Rhiannon ended up punching Glenn to get away.

They all tensed again when they heard more footsteps running their way.

Merle came from around the corner, his chest heaving from running.

Rhiannon's breathing stuttered when she didn't see Daryl following him. "W-where is he?" She asked, her voice cracking as she began to lose her resolve and panic wormed its way into her heart.

"He ain't here?" Merle asked, his face dropping. "We took out three'a those pricks, thought he made a run for it. I thought I was the last one in the store."

"Oh my-" She trailed off, her shaking hand covering her mouth to hide her lips that began to quiver. Her legs suddenly felt weak, but thankfully Glenn still a tight grip on her to keep her steady.

Her chest heaved as her breaths began to get shorter and she felt on the verge of a panic attack. The thought that she could lose him was too much to bare and she felt her hands trembling with fear.

"I'm goin' back." Merle said, his voice dangerously low. The sight of Rhiannon crumbling in front of him had him feeling uncomfortable, but not in the way a crying, hysterical woman usually did. This time he felt dread right along with her, his chest aching just as hers did.

"I'm going too." She breathed out and though she tried to sound strong and determined, her voice was anything but.

"I don't think tha-"

"Merle, shut the fuck up." She snapped before he could even finish his sentence and she began to stomp determinedly towards the store.

She stopped in her tracks, her head snapping up at the sound of a gunshot. Her blood ran cold and this time, she couldn't hold back the sob that ripped through her.

"That don't mean nothin'. He probably just took out the last of those fuckers." Merle told her.

" _I_ have his gun." She reminded him.

Merle's face darkened and his eyes went wide with realization, showing an emotion she'd never seen on his face before. Tears flowed down her cheeks freely and she breathed unevenly, dangerously fast, but she kept walking.

If that gunshot meant what she was dreading it meant, that didn't mean it was over. _He could've been hit in the leg, or arm,_ she told herself, but it still left a pit of despair in her stomach. She sprinted as fast as she could, feeling her lungs burning. Crying while running didn't exactly feel good.

She suddenly bumped into someone, almost sending her sprawling to the ground, before strong hands grabbed her waist to stop her.

Rhiannon gasped, icy blue eyes the first thing she noticed. Relief flooded through her and she swear she could've fainted with the onslaught of emotions that hit her so forcefully. She cried loudly and threw herself into Daryl's arms.

"Whoa, whoa, what's goin' on? You alright?" He asked, his voice laced with worry. He'd never seen her so distraught before. The sobs coming from her mouth was something he'd never heard, not from her.

"I thought you were dead." She cried, her body shaking with each breath, making his grip on her tighten.

"What?"

"You weren't back and I heard a gunshot."

Daryl sighed, realizing she'd gotten back to hear their dumb plan and to see him missing. He could only imagine what that was like, he'd probably in the same condition as her if the roles were reversed.

His hand rubbed up and down her back. "Shh, it's ok. I'm ok. Ain't goin' anywhere. Sure as hell ain't ever leaving you."

Rhiannon lifted her head and pressed her lips to his frantically. She pulled away, her breaths hiccuping as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She ran her fingers gently over the bruise already beginning to form under his eye.

Daryl looked up, seeing Merle staring back at him. The look in his brother's eyes was haunting. Like Rhiannon, he'd never seen him so shaken before. Daryl sent him a nod, reassuring him that he was ok.

Merle let out a loud breath and looked down at his feet. He shifted, clearly feeling overwhelmed with what had just happened in past two minutes. He suddenly moved forward, the embrace his brother was still locked in not bothering him in the slightest. He tousled his little brother's hair, the way he did when they were kids and Daryl would push him away for annoying him.

This time there was no pushing him away and yelling at him. Daryl looked at his brother, a small smile forming as, for once, he felt affection and love from his brother.

"C'mon, we should get outta here. Those walkers probably heard that gunshot." Merle told them, looking at the couple with soft eyes instead of a teasing smirk or scowl like he usually was.

Rhiannon nodded, pulling away from Daryl, but only slightly. She wiped at her face, wanting to get rid of any evidence of her breakdown.

Daryl kept his arm around her waist as they walked back to the car. Glenn, Sasha and Michonne all let out a collective sigh of relief when they saw Daryl.

"Thank god." Glenn breathed out. He noticed the state Rhiannon was in and his chest ached. "I'll drive, you guys have done enough." He offered, taking the keys from Rhiannon and ignoring the way her hands shook.

It was jarring to see her like this.

Daryl helped Rhiannon into the car and got in after her, immediately opening up his arms for her to crawl into. She did without wasting another second, practically planting herself right in his lap.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in his woodsy scent and she finally felt her heart rate slowing.

"You alright?" He whispered and she shook her head.

"Never wanna go through that again." She whimpered and the fragility of her voice had his chest aching.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. We were stupid to think we could do shit like this separated."

"Yeah." He mumbled in agreement.

Rhiannon didn't let go of him the entire ride back, she stayed curled up against his chest. When they got back to the prison it was already dark. She didn't speak to anyone as she passed them by to get to her cell.

"Is she ok?" Rick asked the group, his eyes still watching the cell block where he'd just seen Rhiannon go. He turned to face the others and his eyes widened at the sight of Daryl. "The hell happened to you?"

"Ran into some guys at the store."

"You alright?"

"Yeah, managed to get the gun away from him."

"Is _she_ alright?" Rick asked, he could only imagine how the situation had unfolded, he knew it wasn't easy seeing your significant other in trouble.

Daryl just shrugged. He really didn't know how to answer.

He gave a quick reassurance to Hershel, Maggie and Beth that Rhiannon was ok, that she hadn't been hurt, and he quickly made his way up to their cell.

When he walked in he saw her sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. He panicked slightly, worried that something else had happened to get her so upset.

"What's goin' on?" He asked, taking up the spot next to her. He placed his hand on her back comfortingly and she finally raised her head. Her tear streaked face and hollow expression was like a knife in his chest. He would do anything to never see that expression of her face again.

"I've never felt that before." She said quietly, her voice raspy from crying.

"Felt what?"

"That kind of panic, dread. I really thought you were gone. I don't what I would do if-" She trailed off, a new bout of tears coming and she physically wasn't able to continue with the thought.

"Hey, look at me." He reached over and with a finger on her chin, moved her gaze to him. "I'm not goin' anywhere. Nothin's ever gonna keep me from comin' back to you."

"You don't know that. You can't control what other people do."

"You said that I was the most stubborn man you ever met. I don't care what stands in my way, I don't care what I have to do, I'm not lettin' anything get between us. You ain't ever gonna lose me and I'm sure as hell ain't losin' you."

She nodded, leaning in closer to him. Daryl wiped the tears under her eyes with his thumb and moved forward, pressing a feather light kiss to her lips that, under any other circumstances, would've had her aching for more.

Daryl motioned for her to lay back and she complied, feeling tired from the whirlwind that was their afternoon. Daryl slipped her boots off and her jeans. He moved to the hook on the wall, finding the hoodie of his she loved to wear. She had gotten the idea of what he was doing and had taken off her shirt and bra by the time he turned around.

She pulled the hoodie over her head and laid back down, watching patiently as he got his clothes off. Daryl laid himself down next to her, pulling the covers over the both of them. He reached over for her ipod he'd brought in from the car and unwinded the earphones, handing her one while he took the other.

Rhiannon smiled softly, touched by the gesture. She loved that he knew exactly what to do to make her feel better.

 _Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed_

Her heart fluttered at the familiar tune. It was the same one they listened to together after the fiasco with the prisoners and her father getting his foot cut off.

Daryl laid his arm across her waist, his head nestled in the crook her neck as he pulled her back into his chest.

"Thank you." She whispered. She couldn't remember a time before the world ended that she felt this cared for. She didn't even think Daryl knew just how much this small gesture meant to her.

Daryl squeezed her hip and pressed his lips to her neck. "Love you."

The sound of his gruff voice saying those words had tears springing to her eyes again. Her hand ran over his that laid over her stomach.

 _Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile  
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile  
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean  
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen_

 _Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile_

"Love you too." She whispered back, a content smile growing.

The sound of those words coming from her lips had Daryl smiling right along with her.

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Please leave me a review and let me know what you think xx**


	58. Chapter 58

The party had been in full swing for hours now. They'd finally found free time, no runs were needed, the fences were fully functional, and things were calm. It was the perfect time to finally celebrate Glenn and Maggie's nuptials.

Daryl sat by the makeshift bar, sipping on his drink slowly. He knew what he was like when he got drunk and he wasn't going to risk Rhiannon seeing him belligerent like that so he made sure to pace himself.

The music from the boombox blared loudly, playing some pop song he'd never heard of. He didn't care for it either.

He watched the people he barely knew dance happily. They acted as if the world wasn't in chaos, as if everything were back to normal. He didn't know how to feel about it. On the one hand he was glad people were able to find happiness in all this shit, but he thought it was stupid of them to let loose so easily. The drunk people that stumbled around him annoyed him more than he thought it would.

"Not the party type, huh?" Rick mused, taking a spot next to him to lean against the bar.

Daryl shrugged, taking another sip from him drink. "Ain't really my type of crowd."

"We're building a life here. You tellin' me you haven't bonded with any of the new people?"

Daryl snorted. "Have you?"

Rick nodded, understanding his point. "I guess I haven't been very sociable. It's hard to let people in knowing the types that are out there."

"Yeah." Daryl answered vaguely.

He saw no reason to blend in and make new friends with others they brought in. He felt like he had everything he needed, had felt that way since the farm. The new people didn't bring him any new fulfillment or peace Rhiannon hadn't given him already.

Speaking of Rhiannon, his eyes found her again and he couldn't help but smile lightly at the sight of her singing along to the music happily, twirling around the dancefloor, her hands in Beth's who was smiling just as wide.

"At least someone's havin' fun." Rick laughed, his eyes following Daryl's to look at Rhiannon. "She seems to be in a better mood."

Daryl's smile disappeared. Thoughts of the run from hell invaded his mind and it made his chest tighten uncomfortably. It had taken days for Rhiannon to recover from that experience. She would wake him up during the night and he would have to reassure her that he was ok, that he wasn't hurt, countless times.

"She's tough. Knew she wouldn't stay down for too long."

"You two are gettin' serious."

Daryl's eyes narrowed and he looked over at Rick in annoyance. "What the hell you gettin' at, Grimes?"

"Nothin', nothin'. Just happy to see you two together." Rick defended, though in his mind he was wondering if someday down the line they'd be having another celebration for Daryl and Rhiannon. He certainly hoped so.

"How you doin'?" Daryl asked suddenly. He was happy to get the attention off him and his personal life, but he was genuinely curious. He knew Rick had had a tough couple of months with Lori dying and Asskicker being born. No one spoke about it, but people still wondered if Rick was the true father.

Rick's expression fell slightly. He didn't know how to answer the simple question. No one had died in over a week, things were running smoothly at the prison, but he couldn't ignore the ghosts that lingered.

"I'm managing." He answered and Daryl could see through his vague explanation immediately.

The hunter didn't know if he should mention the obvious elephant in the room that was Rick's grief or just ignore it as he always did.

"I get why you stepped down." He said suddenly. "I think it was the right thing to do."

Rick nodded, feeling lighter than before with Daryl's reassurance that he was doing the right thing. "Gotta do what's right for my family. And that includes you."

Daryl smiled at first, but it quickly fell as he thought about _his_ family that still wasn't fitting in.

"I'm sorry about Merle."

"What do you mean? He hasn't done anything." Rick asked in confusion.

"I just… You know, in general. All the Woodbury shit."

Rick frowned, looking over at Daryl intently. He knew he'd been struggling with that for awhile. "I think Merle's more than made up for that. We're alive, we're ok. He's helping out. Honestly, he's a good man to have on our side."

Daryl looked at Rick, his expression slightly bewildered at his words.

"You ain't responsible for him. You don't need to keep stessin' 'bout this. He's fine, he's doin' his part." Rick assured him.

Daryl blew out a long breath, he had trouble believing it, even if it was coming from Rick. Thankfully, he didn't have to dwell on it too long as he saw Rhiannon walking towards him, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Daryl smiled down at her, noticing her slightly glassy expression. He could tell the alcohol she'd consumed had gotten to her.

"Hey, Darlin', havin' fun?"

"You're not. What's with the frown?" She asked, her fingers moving to drag his lips upwards in the guise of a smile.

Daryl leaned back, looking down at her in amusement. "Never seen you like this before. Always figured you'd be a giggly drunk."

"Oh, shut up." She mused, pulling out of his grip. She leaned over the bar, grabbing another beer.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Rick asked, looking at her in slight concern.

Rhiannon scowled and handed the beer to him before grabbing another one for herself. "Drink it Officer, you need it more than I do."

Rick smiled at her and gave her a dramatic look while he took a swig from the can she'd handed him. "Happy?"

"Not until I see you drunk. C'mon, you deserve it. I haven't seen you unclench in a year."

Rick chuckled and took another long sip. He had to admit, tonight felt good. He felt relaxed for the first time in a long time and he was actually having fun.

Rhiannon curled up next to Daryl, her arm winding around his waist as his laid over her shoulder.

"So, spill, what's got you two looking so serious?"

"Just chattin'." Rick responded simply.

Rhiannon snorted and shook her head. "You men, always so open with your emotions."

"Talkin' 'bout Merle." Daryl told her honestly. It didn't feel right to keep something from her, even if it was just a simple conversation.

"What'd he do now?"

"Nothin'. I was just tellin' Daryl he had nothin' to worry about."

Rhiannon smiled lightly and looked up at Daryl to gage his reaction. She knew he was still having trouble believing things were going smoothly, he always was a little cynical, especially when it came to how others perceived him and subsequently his brother, who he was taking responsibility for.

"Well that's good."

Daryl just nodded, he get what Rick and Rhiannon were trying to do, but he knew Merle better than them. He wasn't going to hold his breath.

"Speak of the devil." Rhiannon muttered as Merle approached them.

"You got any other music than the shit that's playin'." He complained, reaching over the bar to grab another beer.

"Not my job." Rhiannon shrugged.

"Can you just try to have fun and not bitch the whole time?" Daryl groaned.

Rhiannon looked up at him with a frown. He was constantly being hard on his brother, every little thing he did had Daryl complaining, even if it hadn't bothered anyone else. The others could see his progress, especially those that had been around him at the quarry in Atlanta. They definitely weren't as hard on him as Daryl was.

"He's not wrong." Rhiannon chimed in, hoping to diffuse the sudden tension. "They could at least play the Spice Girls or something."

Merle snorted. "That happens and I just might have to kill myself."

"You Dixon's are such drama queens." She teased with a smile.

Daryl looked down at her with a slight smile and pinched her shoulder teasingly.

"Do you miss dancing?" Rick asked, noticing the way she looked at the people in front of them fondly.

Rhiannon nodded, her eyes holding a faraway look as she thought of her life in New York. A small smile grew, she really did miss dancing. It was the only thing she thought she was good at.

Merle smirked wickedly, a delighted expression on his face she'd never seen before.

"You're a dancer?" He asked with barely contained excitement.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. She knew exactly where his mind was.

"Ballet, not exotic, dipshit."

"Damn shame. With that body-"

"Merle." Daryl warned, not liking where the conversation was heading.

Rhiannon just laughed, making Daryl relax slightly. He was at least glad she wasn't offended by everything that came out of his brother's mouth.

She smiled widely as Beth approached and moved behind the bar. She gasped dramatically, making her baby sister look up at her quizzically.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Are you actually having a drink?"

"I'm having water." Beth said monotonously, shrugging innocently.

"Or you could have something a little more fun."

Rick chuckled. "You're a bad influence." He told her simply and Rhiannon just waved him off, looking indifferent.

"What Dad doesn't know won't hurt him." Rhiannon told her.

"I really doubt that." Beth said, clearly not comfortable with disobeying their father's rules, even if it was the end of the world and civilization had crumbled before them.

"Well, you'll never know if you don't try."

Daryl shook his head at Rhiannon, a smirk tugging at his lips. His eyes widened slightly and he nudged her in warning when he saw Hershel walking towards them.

She looked up at him, confused as to why he looked so serious. He motioned with his head and she looked over, her face paling slightly when she saw her father and she immediately plastered on an innocent smile.

"Hi Dad." She said all too sweetly, making Daryl snigger behind his drink.

Hershel took one look at her and sighed deeply. He had seen that smile too many times to still be fooled by it.

"Let me guess, you're corrupting your baby sister?" He asked, looking back at Beth who looked horrified at being caught, even though she hadn't exactly been doing anything.

"Of course not. How could you even suggest such a thing?" Rhiannon said, grasping at straws to maintain her innocence.

"Babygirl, nothing you do surprises me anymore. I'm afraid I know you too well." Hershel told her, giving her a quick kiss to her forehead as he passed to grab a seat on the edge of the crowd.

"That was easy." She mumbled, taking a long swig of her drink.

Beth looked at her older sister in surprise and let out a laugh. "You're crazy."

"Give it a rest, kid. I've been tellin' her that for months and it still ain't sunk in." Daryl told her and Rhiannon squeezed his hip teasingly in response.

"Oh, I love this song." Rhiannon suddenly gasped as a slow ballad began to play and turned to face Daryl, raising a questioning brow.

His face dropped and he began shaking his head furiously.

"No fuckin' way. I ain't goin' out there." He said, nodding to the dance floor where couples were now slow dancing.

"Please?" She whined childishly, pulling at his hand but he refused to budge.

"Nah, ain't happening."

Her shoulders slumped and she narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Well, you leave me no choice." She told him and turned to Merle, offering her hand, making both brothers' eyes widen.

"You serious?" Daryl exclaimed, looking to her in shock.

"Deadly."

Merle laughed obnoxiously loud and nudged his brother. "Well, looks like she finally came to her senses and picked the better Dixon brother." He smirked and took Rhiannon's hand. "Get ready, Bambi, I'm gonna show you I can do with one hand what a lot of guys can't do with two."

Rhiannon grimaced and pulled her hand away from his.

"No, nevermind."

"What? Just like that?" He laughed as she began to walk backwards away from them.

"Yup, you ruined it." She answered simply. "Beth, you're up!" She yelled to her sister who quickly made her way towards her. With one last teasing smile to Daryl, she disappeared into the crowd of people on the dancefloor.

Daryl watched her go with a small smile on his face. He was feeling incredibly anxious and out of place the entire night, but after spending five minutes with Rhiannon, he was relaxed and laid back, despite his worst nightmare that was a crowd of people around him.

"Get that look off your face." Merle said teasingly, nudging his brother. The comment was made in jest, he'd gotten used to the looks Daryl and Rhiannon would give each other constantly, he just loved to tease him about it.

Daryl looked over at Merle, ready to ream him out, but when he saw the smirk on his face that held no contempt, his scowl lifted. He just huffed out a small laugh and brought his drink back to his lips.

On the dancefloor, the two sisters were dancing slowly, glad to finally have a moment of peace between them.

"Having fun?" Beth asked through her girly giggles. The wide, happy smile and slightly glassy eyes were clear indications that her big sister was drunk or at least close to it.

"Can't you tell?"

Beth smiled, but the longer she stayed in thought, the more it fell into a deep frown. Rhiannon noticed immediately and looked at her in concern.

"What was that? What's going on?"

"How did you do that, just bypass dad like that?"

"I know you were probably too young to remember, but the fights dad and I had when I was in high school were like gladiator matches. Thankfully we've moved past that and he realizes anything I do now doesn't hold a candle to the shit I put him through before. He knows he's gotta pick his battles."

"I remember the fights." Beth said quietly.

Rhiannon's face fell and guilt coursed through her. She hated that she had put her sisters through so much during her teenage years. Not to mention the horrible way she treated her father that still haunted her even years later.

"I admired you a lot." Beth said again, surprising Rhiannon who looked at her curiously. "You stood up for yourself. You weren't scared to hold your own."

Rhiannon stayed silent. She didn't know how to feel knowing the darkest years of her life is what made her so admirable in Beth's eyes.

Beth's eyes suddenly darkened, a haunted look passing over her features.

"Beth? What's really going on?" Rhiannon asked, not even caring that they were in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

When she didn't answer, the fog in Rhiannon's brain began to dissipate, the alcohol suddenly seeming to have no effect on her. She pulled away slightly to look Beth in the eye, giving her a questioning look.

"Bethie? What's wrong?" She asked again, more sternly this time.

"I just…" She sighed heavily and she moved in closer to her sister, laying her head on her shoulder again. "I feel weird."

"What, like period stuff?" Rhiannon asked, horror creeping through her at the thought that Beth would be subjected to the same problems she had. Dealing with two women suffering through endometriosis would be a nightmare.

Beth let out a breathy laugh at the concern she heard in Rhiannon's voice. "No, nothing like that." She sighed heavily, looking uncomfortable at the prospect of coming clean. "I feel guilty. I'm having fun, I'm laughing but my mom isn't here. Shawn isn't here. Patricia isn't here. Or Lori, T-Dog, Andrea. Everyone. They deserve to be here. They _should_ be here."

Rhiannon's heart dropped to her stomach and her feet stopped their movement to the rhythm of the music. She stared at her baby sister with soft eyes, her heart breaking for her.

"Beth…" She started, but stopped, not knowing what to say to her to make her feel better.

"I know, I need to get over it. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about them lately." She said quickly and tried to resume their dancing, acting as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't just dropped a major emotional bomb.

"No, you don't need to get over it. You _shouldn't_ be over it, you shouldn't forget about them. But you know they all loved you, cared about you in their own way. They'd want you to be happy."

Beth nodded, but she still looked unconvinced. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes, looking at her intently.

"How long have you felt like this?"

"Since Mom died. When you came back to the farm I was so happy, so relieved, and I felt bad because _she_ wasn't here, but I still felt so happy."

Rhiannon breathed deeply. She wasn't qualified in any way to give this kind of life advice, especially with the amount of alcohol in her system, but there was really no other option.

"Bethie you know what happened to your mom, what happened to everyone else, was out of your control. There's no use in dwelling on it, cause it'll drive you crazy. They would want you to be happy, and being happy doesn't mean forgetting about them. You know, sometimes it'll hit you and you'll remember how much you miss them and it'll suck for awhile but you remember the people you still have and you keep going."

Beth looked up at her sister and a genuine smile grew on her innocent face.

"You should drink more often. It makes you wise."

Rhiannon laughed and brought her into her arms, continuing to sway to the music together.

"You're a brat." She jested playfully and they continued to dance together, feeling a lot less gloomful than before. It was amazing what just a few words could do, especially if they come from the right person.

"Do you think they can see us?" Beth asked, now more serious.

"I dunno. If they can, your mom would be so proud of you. The way you care for Judy, how kind you are to everyone here, she'd be so happy."

Beth smiled and held onto her tighter. She knew it was a sore spot for Rhiannon, talking about her mother, and she was so grateful she'd actually gone ahead with talking about it. She knew the guilt her big sister carried over her relationship with Annette and it made her all the more grateful to be having this conversation with her.

"She'd be proud of you, too." Beth told her quietly, almost shyly, as if she wasn't sure if she should bring it up at all.

Rhiannon paused for a second and pulled her head back to look at Beth questioningly.

"You've grown up a lot, you've made up for everything that happened. And I know you never got to say it to her face, but she knows."

Rhiannon felt touched by her words and she felt almost embarrassed that her baby sister had given her such profound comfort.

"You really believe that?" She asked. She wasn't the most religious person, much to her father's distaste, and she didn't know if she believed in the afterlife like her family did.

"I have too. What kind of life would this be if I didn't?" Beth answered simply.

Rhiannon laughed lightly and Beth looked at her curiously.

"You're growing up too fast." Rhiannon moaned in annoyance. "Before I know it, you'll be married with kids."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Right." She drawled sarcastically. "Maggie's the old married one, you and Daryl are practically married. I'm the only single one."

Rhiannon gaped at her sister. Hearing the words 'Daryl' and 'married'' in the same sentence had her heart beating faster. She didn't know if it was out of excitement or fear of the thought. She knew it'd be easier to quickly sidestep that thought before she drove herself into a panic.

"Well, is there anyone that catches your eye, you old single maid?" She joked.

"That guy Troy is pretty cute."

"No, no, no, no. Don't go anywhere near Fuckboy Troy. He's off limits."

Beth snorted, resting her head on Rhiannon's shoulder. "So you're the one that came up with that name?"

Rhiannon's eyes widened. "That's catching on?"

Beth nodded. "I heard it from Sasha."

"Well, it doesn't matter, there's no way I'm letting that slimy bastard near you."

"He's charming." Beth defended and Rhiannon looked at her lamely.

"That's what they always make you believe. Trust me, he's scum. Don't even bother."

"Well, then I guess I really am an old maid. There's not really any people my age here."

"Someone will turn up." Rhiannon told her. Beth was too young to be so cynical about relationships.

"You think I'll find my Daryl?"

Rhiannon scowled at her, clearly unamused at the overt teasing.

"What? You guys are adorable together. I wanna find someone that looks at me the way he looks at you. You two are so in love, it's almost gross to watch."

Rhiannon knew she was blushing, it was pretty hard not too after what she'd just heard. Her head turned, seeking out the man in question, and she involuntarily smiled when she saw him talking with Rick and Merle, his mouth raised in a slight smile.

Anyone else would have thought he looked surly or standoffish, but she knew him well enough to know he was completely at ease in that moment.

Beth nudged her, raising a knowing brow when Rhiannon's attention finally went back to her.

"Shut up." She mumbled, knowing she'd just unwillingly proved Beth's point.

They continued to dance, song after song, even Maggie joining in, having managed to leave her husband's side for a few minutes.

Rhiannon was the happiest she'd been in a long while, enjoying herself and letting loose in a way she hadn't since before the world ended.

She was twirling around the dancefloor when she noticed Troy, the fuckboy that needed to stay away from her sister, hanging around Michonne who looked less than thrilled by his presence.

Rhiannon noticed how he seemed to inch closer to her every time she took a step away from him. She kept watching, knowing Michonne could kick his ass easily, something she would absolutely love to see, but Michonne wasn't the type to snap. She was more the silent killer type.

"Hey, I'll be right back." She yelled to her sisters over the loud music. They nodded and continued dancing, clearly not noticing what she had.

She approached Michonne slowly, her anger simmering when she saw Troy trying to gain her attention. It was when she saw him reach out to grab onto her arm that her patience began to slip and she forced her way through the crowd forcefully.

"Hey! Do you need something?" She asked, glaring at the man intently.

He looked up in annoyance at the interruption, his expression just as cold as hers. Rhiannon looked over at Michonne who sighed in relief at her presence and gave her a grateful, half smile.

"Not from you." He told her, raising his chin arrogantly so he was looking down at her.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, from the looks of it, not from Michonne, either."

Troy was getting visibly agitated at her prying and he squared his shoulders, looking at her intensely, a look that was probably supposed to be menacing, but Rhiannon had spent enough time with Daryl Dixon to no longer be intimidated by trivial glares.

"Look, why don't you just stay outta my business and I stay outta yours."

"It is my business if you're in my home, bothering my people. If I haven't made myself clear yet, leave her alone or I'll widdle your dick down to one inch instead of your standard two."

Troy looked enraged and clenched his jaw. "If Michonne wants to talk to me-"

"I don't wanna talk to you." Michonne interrupted bluntly, looking over her shoulder at the leering man with a cold scowl.

"Well, there you have it, Troy. You can go now." Rhiannon smiled sweetly, the condescending tone of her voice almost sickening.

Troy looked baffled by the turn of events and gave Michonne a surprised glance, having not read her signals at all.

"But I-"

"Bye." Rhiannon cut him off sternly, giving him a look of irritation. She waved her hand, motioning for him to get lost.

The man grit his teeth and looked at Rhiannon with such hatred, she wondered if he would be stupid enough to lunge at her. She didn't even want to imagine what Daryl would do if that happened. Troy at least had a few brain cells left and had the good grace to walk away from the women glaring at him with a childish huff.

"Thanks for that." Michonne told her, looking a little bashful at the whole situation. "He wouldn't listen, just kept going on and on about himself. Don't even think he heard me speak."

"No worries, chasing away douchebags isn't exactly a new thing."

"Can't believe we still have to deal with that bullshit." Michonne rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink.

"At least now we can use weapons to get our point across without getting in trouble."

Michonne laughed lightly and nodded. "Yes, there's that." She smiled at Rhiannon, the act catching Rhiannon off guard, no matter if she'd already seen it a few times, it was still a relatively new occurrence for the elusive woman. "But seriously, thank you."

Rhiannon just shrugged, now feeling uncomfortable with the praise. She never did take compliments well.

"Of course. Not gonna let that asshole think he's on top here."

"If you ever need me to return the favour, I will."

"Not sure that's necessary with Daryl around, but thanks." Rhiannon smiled.

"Thought I'd have to step in when I saw your fan club watching you like a bunch of hawks."

Rhiannon furrowed her brows at Michonne's comment, looking at her in confusion. "Fan club?"

Michonne nudged her chin over to the left and Rhiannon turned. "Teenage boys are nothing if not persistent."

Her lips pursed, trying to stifle a laugh when she saw Carl and his new friends all staring at her and not-so-subtly averting their eyes when they noticed her looking at them.

Rhiannon groaned, she really didn't want to deal with that. Teenage boys were the least favorable demographic, Carl excluded, of course.

She'd caught the group of boys watching her and laughing amongst themselves a few times. She shivered, she really didn't want to know what they joked about behind her back.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Just sick Daryl on them."

Rhiannon laughed loudly. "Aww, that'd be mean."

"Just a suggestion." Michonne said sarcastically.

The two women shared smiles, both of them silently acknowledging their growing friendship, which had happened seemingly out of nowhere. Rhiannon knew Michonne had been hesitant about staying when she first got to the prison and somewhere down the line, she didn't exactly know when, she became a valuable member and a good friend.

"So, will we be having another one of these parties in the not so distant future?"

"What do you mean?" Rhiannon asked. The alcohol coursing through her veins wasn't allowing her to catch onto the underlying meaning of her words.

"You know...you and Daryl… celebrating a certain milestone." Michonne teased with a high, singsong voice.

Rhiannon mouth dropped open, her dumbfounded expression making Michonne have to suppress a laugh. This was the second time in less than an hour that marriage had been brought up. It was intimidating to say the least.

"You won't have much luck there." Carol chimed in, having arrived in time to hear Michonne. "I've been dropping hints for months. The two of them are so damn oblivious."

Rhiannon felt herself beginning to sweat at the twin looks of anticipation on the women's faces.

"I need another drink." She mumbled, using any excuse she could think of to get out of this situation.

"Can you get me one?" Carol asked as she began to walk away.

Rhiannon turned on her heel and gave her a sweet smile. "Nope."

Approaching the bar again, she noticed the three men she'd left in the exact same position she'd left them.

"You guys are so boring." She told them as she poured herself a shot of tequila.

"Goddamn, Bambi. For someone so tiny, you sure can drink a lot." Merle whistled, sounding impressed as she threw back the shot.

Rhiannon smiled widely, giving him a sarcastic curtsey.

"You feelin' ok?" Rick asked, noticing she was a lot more heavy on her feet than usual.

"I'm fine." She said, though her voice was slightly too loud and her words a little too slurred to make them believe her.

"Right." Daryl said, completely unconvinced. "I think it's time to hit the hay, darlin'."

"What? C'mon, I lived in New York, I can keep going all night."

Merle laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the room and catching the attention of most of the crowd who looked at him quizzically.

"Always knew you were a goddamn firecracker." He mused happily, a wide smile etched on his face.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes halfheartedly and nudged him with her elbow.

Daryl sent his brother a warning look. Again, he was wandering into dangerous territory. He didn't want him thinking about her like that, much less, actually talking about it.

"C'mon, the party's windin' down, people are goin' to bed. Let's go." Daryl coerced her, his arm winding around her waist.

Rhiannon hummed happily at his touch and leaned back against his chest. She looked up at him, her dreamy expression making something inside him clench. The way she looked at him always had him reeling in the best possible way.

"Can you carry me? I don't think my legs work anymore." She moaned, finally feeling the effects of the alcohol hitting her hard.

Daryl chuckled, but nodded, reaching down to scoop her up in his arms. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her bridal style.

"Goodnight!" She said enthusiastically, waving to Rick and Merle who watched with amusement as Daryl carried the giggling drunk.

Daryl carried her up the stairs, ignoring the glances he got from the others making their way to their cells. He didn't care if he was acting soft or if he was ruining the hard ass image he'd acquired. He was a man in love and if carrying the woman of his affection when she was too inebriated wasn't a sign of how much he cared, he didn't know what was.

Once he made it to their cell, he placed her down on the bed and turned, pulling the curtain across the doorway to give them some privacy. He began to get ready to go to sleep, taking his boots off, when he felt Rhiannon's feet poking at him, trying to get his attention.

He looked over at her, raising a brow in question. She just giggled again, looking at him through the strands of her messy hair. He leaned towards her, brushing the hair away so he could see her big brown eyes clearly.

Her smile fell slightly and her brows furrowed as she looked at him, deep in thought.

"What?" He asked, suddenly worried that she was feeling sick. He wasn't exactly equipped to handle that.

"How come you didn't dance with me tonight?"

Daryl's eyes widened and he suddenly felt like panicking. He didn't know how to answer that question, he didn't know if anything he said would even make sense to her with her being three sheets to the wind.

"Don't know how." He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable at the slightest thought of what would've happened if he had given in and danced with her in front of everyone. He would've embarrassed himself for sure.

"You don't need to know how. Anyone can do it, it's just swaying." She answered, beginning to feel drowsy.

Daryl sighed heavily and continued to take off his clothes to get ready for bed, ignoring her words. He didn't exactly have anything to see on the matter.

"Daryl?" Her sweet voice asked, making him turn to face her again. The doe eyed expression had him feeling weak. "Is it me? You didn't wanna dance with a professional?" She teased, beginning to smile widely.

Daryl laughed. "Yeah, that's it."

Rhiannon sat up with a mighty groan and began to take off her shoes, getting herself ready for bed. She was about to start taking off her clothes when the music that played downstairs changed and a familiar tune started to play.

Rhiannon's eyes softened and she looked up at Daryl with an amazed expression. Delighted by the coincidence.

Daryl, hearing Simon and Garfunkel, the band he begrudgingly and embarrassingly admitted to Rhiannon he liked, looked down at her accusingly.

"I had nothing to do with this, I swear!" She laughed, holding her hands up in defense. "It's just a coincide."

Daryl sighed, hearing that voice in his head pressuring him to push harder, as it always did when it came to Rhiannon and trying to do nice things for her.

He chewed at his lip anxiously, debating his next move intently, as if this were a life or death situation. He sighed heavily and got to his feet, holding out his hand to her. Rhiannon looked at it in confusion and her eyes trailed up slowly to meet his.

She was in the middle of pulling her bra through her sleeves, not the most attractive thing to be doing, and she looked at him curiously.

"Well, we doin' this or not?" He asked, sounding slightly impatient, but she knew his slightly annoyed tone was just his insecurities coming out.

Rhiannon grabbed his hand and let him pull her up from the bed. She had a small smile on her face as she slowly moved her arms around his neck, his finding their way around her waist.

"Like this?" He asked quietly, a slight blush on his cheeks.

She nodded, too shocked to use actual words. They began to sway slowly to the music, her head moving to rest against his chest. She could hear his heart beating rapidly. She could tell he was nervous and unsure about this.

"You're doing great, tinman." She teased in a soft voice, smiling when she felt his body shake with a laugh and his tense body relax slightly.

Her small joke effectively lightened his mood. His grip on her tightened and he nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck, breathing in deeply, the smell of her fruity shampoo calming him immediately.

"You better remember this tomorrow, darlin'." He mumbled against her skin, sending pleasurable vibrations through her.

"I'll never forget this." She whispered, her voice heavy as she felt so relaxed she was close to the verge of falling asleep.

She moved her head from his chest and leaned up on her toes so she was nose to nose with him. His slightly stunned and scared expression on his face had her heart melting. She didn't understand how he could still be so shy with her after everything they'd been through.

"You have no idea how much this means to me." She told him as they continued to sway slowly, his movements still unsure and hesitant.

Daryl blushed, feeling overwhelmed with her praise and still with his bold gesture. He leaned down so she didn't have to strain her neck even further and pressed his lips to hers softly.

Rhiannon smiled against his lips and tightened her grip on his neck as she deepened the kiss. With her kissing him like she was, he suddenly wasn't so scared anymore.

* * *

Daryl woke the next morning and rolled on his side, his eyes slowly blinking open as the haze of sleep wore off. He smiled lightly when he saw Rhiannon still fast asleep beside him, her hair splayed out on her pillow.

He leaned in closer to her, moving his arm to lay over her waist and nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck.

It wasn't surprising she was dead to the world, given the amount of alcohol she had the night before. He smiled lightly, remembering the adorably dazed expression on her face as he carried her up to their cell.

His heart jumped as he thought back to what they'd done. He'd never danced before and he certainly never thought he ever would. But no matter how far out of his comfort zone it was, to know how much she appreciated it made all the heart palpitations worth it.

His eyes trailed down the incredibly enticing sight of her bare back in front of him and he couldn't resist touching her any longer.

Daryl gently trailed his fingers over the tattoo on the back of her neck and down the length of her spine. He paused when she stirred lightly, but she stayed sleeping. The blanket covering her fell slightly, exposing the scars on her lower back.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat and rage swelled deep inside him at the sight. He breathed deeply, forcing himself not to get worked up as he usually did when he thought of the pain she'd been through.

He hated that those marks marred her beautiful body, he hated that she felt that self hatred that came with carrying shameful secrets those kinds of scars caused.

He reached out, pausing slightly with doubt, before he finally lowered his hand down over the scars.

He exhaled shakily as his fingers gently roamed over the burn marks and raised skin. He wished he could take it away, that his touch could heal her from the marks and the memories that came with them.

He could tell the exact moment she woke up. Her entire body went rigid, feeling his touch on that forbidden area.

He quickly pulled his hand back as if her skin had burned him and scooted away from her a few inches, feeling guilty at his actions.

Rhiannon turned over on her back, her eyes meeting his reluctant ones.

"Sorry." He rasped, looking down at his fingers that now trailed over the sheet under them.

"It's ok." She told him. She noticed how closed off he seemed and immediately moved closer to him, slinging her leg over his and moving her hand to rest on his chest. "I'd never not want you to touch me."

Daryl looked up at her through his bangs that now covered his eyes. The shy expression on his face made her smile softly and she leaned up, pressing a feather light kiss to his lips that he immediately reciprocated.

Rhiannon grabbed his arm, moving it over her waist to the place it had been when she awoke. She didn't want him to feel awkward with any part of her, even the parts she didn't like herself.

Daryl sighed in relief, thankful she hadn't reamed him out. She laid her head on his shoulder and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, content to just lay with her for the moment.

"How you feelin'?" He asked and she quickly caught onto the teasing tone of his voice.

"Fine." She responded flippantly.

"You sure? You were gigglin' like an idiot last night."

She sniggered and pinched him lightly. "My tolerance is at zero, getting smashed last night was inevitable." She defended weakly.

"Hey, I ain't judging. I'm the last person that could."

"Pretty sure that'd be Merle, not you." She mumbled and moaned in annoyance as she was jostled when Daryl began to laugh softly.

He suddenly sighed loudly and groaned as he forced herself off him and sat up, moving to get out of bed.

"What are you doing?" She whined, already missing the feeling of him next to her, well, under her. She was using him as her pillow and she much preferred to get that back.

"Got shit to do. Can't stay in bed all day."

"Who says we can't? There's a council now, which you're on, so technically you're your own boss."

Daryl looked over his shoulder at her, feeling weak as she smirked at him knowingly. She was completely aware of what she did to him.

He stayed sitting and Rhiannon groaned dramatically. She sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, holding onto him like a monkey from behind.

"You are staying in bed with me all day." She whispered in his ear, nibbling on it teasingly.

Daryl groaned, his smile growing at their ridiculous position. "You really are a bad influence."

"Fuck yeah I am." She smirked and effectively pulled him back to lay down next to her.

Daryl sighed happily, closing his eyes in contentment as they resumed their position with Rhiannon's head resting on his chest as he cradled her to him, his hand running through her hair.

"By the way, if you tell anyone 'bout me dancin' with you last night, I'm sleepin' in the guard tower for a month." He threatened, though his voice didn't hold any kind of real authority.

Rhiannon raised her head and narrowed her eyes, looking at him intently, trying to catch his bluff. Daryl stared back at her and raised a brow, as if teasing her to try and call him out.

"Don't test me, tink." He said, his lips twitching up into a small smile.

Rhiannon grinned and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him from her less than innocent position.

"There's no way you could resist me for that long." She said with a silky smooth voice.

Daryl's eyes darkened with lust and he bit his lip. _She's got me there._

"Ain't that the truth." He mumbled, his arms winding around her as she laid across him.

* * *

 **Thought I'd give you all a huge pile of fluff before we get into more drama.**

 **As always, a huge thank you to everyone reading and reviewing. It means the world to me xx**


	59. Chapter 59

Daryl stomped heavily through the forest, his quick pace putting him far ahead of the others. He was anxious to get back, especially after coming up short in their search for the Governor.

The constant failure to find the man that had hurt them so bad was disheartening to say the least. He was just thankful that he had convinced Rhiannon to stay back at the prison.

It had been just Merle and Michonne with him and, amazingly, no fighting had come from the two spending almost a week together in close quarters.

"Hey, Dixon," Michonne called out and Daryl sighed heavily, stopping in his tracks and turning to face her. "You mind slowing down? We're gonna lose you."

Daryl didn't respond, but when he continued walking, he was significantly slower than before.

"Sorry." Michonne whispered to the man beside her, smiling down at his two daughters reassuringly. They hadn't planned on picking up Ryan and his daughters Lizzie and Mika, but it was hard to turn their backs on someone with kids.

"He always like this?" Ryan asked, looking to the hunter wearily.

Michonne hesitated and shared a look with Merle. She didn't want to tell them that yes, the man was always quite surly, but his brother was worse.

"He's got a lady waiting for him back at the prison. Love makes him impatient."

Ryan smiled and nodded in understanding.

Merle quickened his pace so he was walking next to his brother, not wanting to get caught in meaningless small talk with the new people.

"You're gonna wear a hole in your boots if you walk any faster." Merle teased.

Daryl rolled his eyes, giving his brother an unamused scowl. "Been gone a week, ain't safe to be gone for that long."

Merle sighed, annoyed by his brother's persistent paranoia. He understood that he was anxious to get back after being gone for so long, he just hated that he'd been in that constant state of wallowing during their whole week together.

In a complete shock of events, Michonne was his only source of conversation and entertainment. Something she begrudgingly took part of.

"What the hell you expectin' to happen?" Merle asked.

"They were plannin' a run when we left. Just wanna make sure everyone's ok."

"Everyone?" Merle asked slowly, seeing right through his explanation.

Daryl sighed, knowing he was being too transparent. "Can you blame me? Ain't right to let her go without me."

"Why? Bambi can handle her own. She certainly don't need you to fight her battles."

"Ain't that. Know she can handle herself. It's just…" He trailed off, not knowing the right words to describe that hollow feeling that took over him at the thought of her getting hurt because he wasn't there to protect her.

He at least didn't want to explain that to Merle. He'd get teased relentlessly for sure.

"I get it." Merle said quietly, almost embarrassingly. It was the same feeling her got when Daryl went out of the fences without him. It felt wrong to let his little brother go without him. Of course, he'd never tell him that.

It wasn't much longer that they saw the tall fences of the prison. Daryl quickened his pace and he strode through the gates like a man on a mission. He looked around the courtyard, beginning to feel disheartened when he didn't see the familiar face he was looking for.

He quickly found Carol who was standing by the grill and made his way over to greet her.

"Hey, they back yet?"

Carol shook her head, a small smile on her face. "The place was pretty well stocked, had to take two trips. They should be back soon though."

Daryl grit his teeth, his head falling back on his shoulders in frustration.

"Who are they?" She asked, looking at the unfamiliar faces that trailed behind him.

"Found 'em hidin' out in some cabin. Lost the mom a few months ago." He told her with a strained voice, looking over at Carol carefully. He knew it was a sensitive issue, having kids here, especially girls who were the same age Sophia would be had things turned out differently.

Carol let out a long breath which trembled slightly. She quickly averted her gaze down the grill in front of her. It hurt to look at those kids, it made that hole in her heart ache until it left her wondering if it were breaking even more. Something she didn't think was possible.

"You ok?" Daryl asked, noticing the haunted look in her eyes.

"Fine." She said, plastering on a fake smile, one he saw through easily, but didn't bring up. It was easier that way. "So, no luck on the search?"

Daryl shook his head, his jaw clenching at the thought of that sadistic bastard lurking out there.

He took a seat at the picnic table next to her, feeling comfortable enough around her to think of her as a source of comfort when he needed a distraction.

They talked for a long time, sometimes just enjoying the comfortable silence, to pass the time before the sound of an engine coming closer had him getting to his feet hurriedly.

The gates opened and Daryl let out a long exhale of relief. They were finally back. He shifted on his feet impatiently, waiting for everyone to get out of the car so he could be sure she was ok and he could finally have her back in his arms.

His heart dropped with each passing second he didn't see her. He watched as Glenn got out of the driver's seat and Troy basically flinging himself out of the passenger side. He stormed across the courtyard and slammed the door behind him as he disappeared into the prison without a look at anybody.

Daryl's hard glare had tracked him the entire time, anger simmering within him. If he had done anything to her or let her get hurt… Daryl reflexively clenched his fist, as if preparing himself for a fight already.

Finally, he saw her, and his entire body relaxed. His tense shoulders sagged and he started towards her.

She didn't look happy, her usually bright expression was turned down into a deep scowl. She didn't notice him, she immediately turned back to the car, and Daryl began to panic again when he saw that she was helping someone out of the car.

Someone was hurt.

As it always did, the fear of losing another person gripped him tightly, sending a jolt through him that always left him feeling helpless and angry.

Rhiannon placed Sasha's arm over her shoulder, her arm wrapping around her waist to make sure she didn't fall as she helped her out of the car.

"The hell happened?" Daryl demanded, finally catching Rhiannon's attention.

She looked up in surprise and immediately sighed in relief when she realized he was back safe and sound.

"Where are the others?" Carol asked, having followed Daryl to check out what the commotion was.

"Didn't make it. Got ambushed by a bunch of walkers and _someone_ decided to save his own ass and ran back to the car while his friends got ripped apart." Rhiannon seethed, too angry to even say Troy's name.

"What happened to you?" Daryl asked, looking a Sasha worriedly.

"Twisted my ankle and hit my head when I fell. I'll be fine."

"That asshole have anythin' to do with that?"

Sasha stayed quiet and looked to Rhiannon with hesitation. She didn't want to admit that, yes, it was Troy that had knocked her over in his struggle to get out with his life. Telling Daryl would basically be signing Troy's death certificate.

Rhiannon grit her teeth and nodded curtly. "We lost Jason and Dan, _his_ friends. Didn't even give a shit, just ran out like a fucking coward."

Daryl rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. Daryl had found Troy and Chrissy with Jason and Dan, they had been a group since the start. He didn't understand how someone could have such little regard for the people who had been with him since the start.

"I'll talk to the others on the council. He ain't goin' on any more runs. You good with that?" Daryl asked and Sasha nodded eagerly.

"You got my vote." She told him, wincing slightly as she put pressure on her twisted ankle.

"I'll take her to see your dad." Tyreese chimed in, coming around from the other side of the car to take his sister into his arms to help her walk.

"You sure?" Rhiannon asked, knowing he probably wanted to go see his girlfriend, Karen.

"Yeah, you've done enough today."

Daryl narrowed his eyes, looking from Rhiannon to Tyreese questioningly. He could see the underlying amusement in the man's gaze and even Sasha let out an amused chuckle.

"What's that mean?" He asked Rhiannon, raising his brows when she looked down to avoid his gaze. It was when she started to rub at her knuckles that Daryl sighed heavily and gave her a knowing look.

"You couldn't have let Tyreese do that?" Daryl asked, grabbing her hand to look at the damage punching that bastard had caused her.

"Out of the two of us, who's more likely to punch someone in the face?" Tyreese asked and Daryl was amazed that the answer was not the huge man that used to play football, but yet, it was his spitfire of a girlfriend that stood barely over five feet tall.

"I think you got your point across. Troy seems pretty embarrassed by the whole thing."

"Good, he should be." Rhiannon said angrily.

"Alright, come on, you gotta get checked out." Tyreese stressed and helped Sasha walk into the prison to find Hershel.

Daryl turned back to Rhiannon, his thumb gently running over her knuckles.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'd take a broken hand if it meant I got to hit him a thousand more times."

Daryl looked at her sternly, looking unamused by her words. He didn't exactly agree with that.

"How'd the search go?"

Daryl shrugged. "Same as before." He said, sounding dejected no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"Michonne and Merle didn't kill each other?"

"Nah, they were fine."

Rhiannon's eyes widened in surprise and she looked at Daryl incredulously, like she didn't believe him and Daryl smiled. It didn't last long as he thought about what they had been talking about the night before.

"I think they wanna go out again soon." He told her, his face turning serious.

Rhiannon groaned and leaned her forehead against his chest, slumping against him as he immediately brought his arms up to wrap around her and hold her close to him.

"Can we not talk about this now?" She mumbled against him.

Something inside Daryl ached at the sound of her voice. He hated that he had to do this, that he had to keep leaving her. This isn't the kind of relationship they wanted, one where they were apart so long and so often, but he couldn't imagine a world where he couldn't keep her safe so he had to at least try and find the bastard that hurt her.

He had to keep doing this _for_ her, no matter how much it killed him to be away from her.

Rhiannon looked up at him and smiled softly, reached up on her toes and pressing a soft and fleeting kiss to his cheek.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me too." He rasped and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers softly, not caring if they were out in the open. He'd learned a few months ago that being self conscious and scared to show affection in public was worthless. If he wanted to kiss his girl he damn well would as he pleased.

Rhiannon had taught him not to give a shit what other people thought.

Daryl pulled away and smiled down at her softly. "So what's your punch count at now?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes dramatically and shook her head, but he could see the twitch of her lips and the small smile she was trying to conceal.

"You're such an ass." She laughed and pushed at his chest.

"Just glad I ain't been on the other end of these weapons." He teased, holding up her hands in his.

"Keep this up and you will be."

Daryl smiled, one of those rare smiles where he looked years younger and so carefree, almost like he was a completely different person.

She loved the sight.

Daryl squeezed her hand in his and as they began to make their way into the prison, he brought her closer and placed his arm over her shoulder.

They were a picture of peace and of pure, unconditional love. A picture that the others at the prison couldn't help but smile when they saw it. Despite how horrified both of them would be if they knew their reputation, it wouldn't stop them from doing what they were doing.

As they passed the picnic tables that lined the courtyards, a group of old ladies giggled to themselves. Their only entertainment was the drama contained within the four walls of the prison and watching Rhiannon and the rough Dixon boy was better than any soap opera.

As Rhiannon and Daryl passed the table of old ladies, their hands intertwined as they smiled at each other lovingly, the women couldn't help but gush over them.

"Can I just say, you two are the cutest thing I've ever seen. You give Brad and Angelina a run for their money." One of the old ladies, Hettie, told them as they passed

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she stared at the giggling old ladies, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Daryl looked at them in confusion and Rhiannon could tell their words had put him on edge. She pushed at his shoulder, getting him to begin moving again before he could ream out the innocent old ladies.

"Thank you." She called out in passing, giving them a fake smile as she made sure to get Daryl away from them as quick as possible, knowing how uncomfortable compliments made him.

"Who the fuck are Brad and Angelina?" Daryl spat and Rhiannon had to put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile.

"People who are, apparently, not as cute as us."

Daryl scowled at her, clearly unamused by her blatant teasing. He'd had enough of that from those damn old ladies that couldn't keep their noses out of everybody else's business.

"I dunno 'bout me, but they're right. Ain't nobody cuter than you."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she looked over at Daryl with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Well, Dixon, seems like that week away really got you feeling sentimental." She teased and Daryl rolled his eyes, bringing her in closer to him and leaning down, taking in the fruity scent of her shampoo that he loved.

"You'd kick my ass if I wasn't."

Rhiannon scoffed. "I wouldn't kick your ass. I'd just yell at you."

"Well then it's a good thing I know how to compliment a lady."

Rhiannon stopped and raised a brow, moving to stand in front of Daryl, though she didn't look very intimidating, given that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. She gripped onto the front of his shirt in her fists, pulling him closer to her.

"I sure as hell hope I'm the only lady you compliment."

Daryl rolled his eyes and looked at her exasperatedly. "You got a damn good imagination, darlin'."

Rhiannon smiled and leaned up on her toes. "Guess I'll just have to remind you I'm the only one you got time for."

Daryl bit his lip and looked at her intently, desire darkening his blue eyes.

"I bet the showers are open." Rhiannon whispered, pressing a teasingly soft kiss to his cheek. Daryl growled and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the prison rapidly.

He didn't even care that their fast pace was drawing attention. The only thing on his mind was Rhiannon.

* * *

Dinner that night was an awkward affair. News had spread that Troy had abandoned his people and the others, no matter if they had gone on runs or not, were looking at him with contempt.

Rhiannon couldn't care less, she knew Troy was a piece of shit, she could sense that the second she met him, and she felt no remorse for feeling the way she did.

She sat next to Daryl, Tyreese and a bandaged up Sasha sitting across from them as they ate, conversing about nothing in particular, something that would've had Daryl spiraling just three months ago.

She was thankful that he had come around to the company of the new people, well, at least the ones that were capable enough, like Sasha and Tyreese. The others she could give or take, it didn't really matter to her.

Soon, Maggie and Glenn approached the table, their plates filled with the squirrel Daryl had caught, something that had him quite bashful when the others expressed their appreciation for the fresh meat he brought.

"So how's it going with the high school nemesis?" Sasha asked Maggie, a knowing smirk on her face. She found the whole thing quite amusing.

"She's actually hasn't been a pain in the ass. I talked to her today, wanted to give my sympathies for Jason and Dan."

"And she didn't give you any shit?"

"No. We actually had a long talk. I asked her why she'd been avoiding me and she had a very interesting explanation." Maggie said slowly, her gaze turning to Rhiannon who kept her eyes down at her plate.

She knew what was coming. She'd been wondering when this was going to bite her in the ass.

Daryl looked over at Rhiannon knowingly, a smirk growing when he saw the way she was avoiding eye contact in embarrassment.

"What's going on?" Sasha asked, noticing the tension coming from Rhiannon and the amusement coming from Daryl and Maggie.

"Well, Chrissy told me a very interesting story."

"And I'm sure we'd all love to hear it, but I heard something really hilarious…"

Rhiannon's diffusion tactic was cut off as Maggie laughed loudly.

"You know, I think what Chrissy told me is a lot funnier than whatever made up bullshit you heard."

Rhiannon but her lip, her face turned down into a scowl as she was forced into resolving her distractions to face her embarassing truth.

"She told me that a certain someone had put the fear of god into her and that's why she's been keeping her distance."

"'Fear of god', that's a little dramatic." Rhiannon scoffed and sent a scathing look to Daryl as he stifled a laugh, having seen the threats unfold for himself. She nudged him with her elbow and looked to Maggie, putting on an innocent expression.

"So you didn't threaten her with your sword?" Maggie asked though she already knew the answer was no.

Rhiannon snapped her lips together, forcing herself not to spew out all the things she wanted to say that would probably only get her in trouble.

"So things are good with you and that manipulative bitch?"

Maggie smirked and shook her head. "Rhiannon." She warned, not wanting a fight to break out because of her sister's need to protect her, even from high school bullies that tormented her years ago. "People change. She's different from how she used to be. I guess the new world can do that to a person."

Rhiannon took in Maggie's words and her thoughtful expression had her sobering from her teasing nature. She knew what Maggie was saying could be related to her experience with her family after finally coming back from New York.

"I dunno, girls like that - the ones that were on the top of the food chain in high school - in my experience, they never outgrow the bitchiness." Sasha spoke up, giving Rhiannon a knowing look when she nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Just watch your back. Once a snake, always a snake."

Maggie rolled her eyes and continued eating, ignoring the way Rhiannon was staring at her intently. Rhiannon could understand why Maggie would be annoyed with the way she was trying to protect her, but the memories of her calling her in New York, crying about some bitch at her school trying to ruin her life had Rhiannon feeling reluctant to let this random girl off the hook.

Rhiannon went back to her meal after sharing knowing looks with Daryl. She knew he was protective in his own right, it was yet another thing they had in common.

Rhiannon was finishing her dinner when a familiar laugh caught her attention. She looked up, her face falling instantly when she saw Beth engaged in what looked like a very lively conversation with Troy.

"What the fuck is that?" She said quietly, almost to herself, but Daryl had heard and he looked to where her stern gaze was locked.

He furrowed his brows, not quite understanding what had her so on edge.

"What's up?" He asked quietly, looking down at her in concern.

"What is he doing?"

"Looks like they're just talkin'."

Rhiannon turned to Daryl and the withering glare she sent him had the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up. She was a small girl with a big heart, but damn, she had a cold scowl. Daryl liked to think he'd been the one to bring it out in her and in a way, he was almost proud.

"That asshole is talking to Beth. I don't like it."

Daryl rolled his eyes, he didn't think this warranted quite the disgusted reaction she was giving. "So? Just talkin', ain't like he's shoving his tongue down her throat."

Rhiannon's body went rigid at the thought and she moved her cold gaze to him, making him sit up straighter. She hadn't looked at him with that kind of venomous hatred in a long time. It was a little unsettling to see.

"That's not the point." She spoke through gritted teeth and she turned to Maggie. "You can't tell me you're ok with this."

"Not really, but they are just talking. Beth is smart, I don't think we need to worry."

"It's not her I'm worried about." Rhiannon mumbled. She knew Beth was smart enough to not get involved with Troy. It was Troy she didn't trust, she didn't want him getting any ideas about her.

"She's old enough to make her own decisions." Daryl shrugged, not understanding what was making Rhiannon so upset.

Rhiannon closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying hard to not lash out at Daryl for his carless comment. She didn't exactly want to ream him out in front of everyone.

She continued eating in silence, not even bothering to spare him another glance. The rest of the night went by relatively fast, time flew when she was low key spying on her baby sister and the man that wouldn't leave her alone.

By the time she was back in her cell, getting her clothes off as she readied herself to go to bed, Daryl slinked into the cell quietly, almost shyly, like he was worried about startling her.

"What's wrong?" He asked, having noticed she'd been acting off since dinner.

Rhiannon looked up at him in annoyance, giving him a cold look before turning her focus back to unlacing her boots.

Daryl sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking agitated by her silence. He had to force himself not to get annoyed and say something stupid, something that would definitely make her bad mood worse.

"What I'd do?"

Rhiannon sighed and dropped her boots to the floor roughly, catching him off guard.

"I just don't get why you don't think a man in his thirties, who we know is a piece of shit, clearly hitting on my baby sister isn't throwing up any red flags for you." She rambled, her voice getting higher as it always did when she was mad and venting her feelings.

Daryl sighed, glad that he hadn't done anything overtly wrong to make her mad, but he felt pretty far out of his element to deal with her sister drama. He knew to steer clear when that stuff started.

"Just don't see what the big deal is." He shrugged. It was clearly the wrong thing to say as Rhiannon sighed heavily in annoyance.

"I don't trust him. Beth hasn't had a lot of experience with boys, she doesn't know that he's just playing her."

"You don't know that."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and looked at him lamely. "You're willing to tell me you think that idiot wants a deep and meaningful relationship with her?"

Daryl looked deep in thought for a few seconds before he winced, realizing it was incredibly unlikely the man wanted anything more than just a fast hookup. Rhiannon gave him a knowing look as he finally came to what she thought was an obvious conclusion.

"Ok, yeah, he's an asshole. But Beth's old enough to make her own decisions. I just think you're bein' a little overprotective."

Rhiannon sputtered out a sarcastic sounding laugh and looked up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Overprotective. You're seriously gonna call _me_ overprotective?"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "That's different. You're my girl, I got a right to be like that."

"Beth is my _sister_." Rhiannon stressed, looking at him incredulously. She couldn't believe that he wasn't understanding why she was upset.

"Yeah and I think that's why you can't see this more clearly." Daryl told her and immediately cringed when she looked at him, almost in betrayal. "Look, if it were anyone else, you'd let them deal with this on their own and make their own decision. You gotta do the same for Beth, she ain't a kid no more."

Rhiannon paused, taking in his words thoughtfully and she exhaled deeply. She laid her chin in her hands and the defeated expression on her face had Daryl feeling even worse, even though he'd only been honest with her.

He took a seat next to her and nudged her with his shoulder lightly, making her look up at him, her eyes now softer than before, something he was grateful for.

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. You're right. I guess I just have trouble letting go. I still see her as this little kid that always looked up to me and needed my help."

Daryl nodded and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Just give her a chance to work this out herself."

"I know. I just hate that guy." She whispered, annoyance flashing through her eyes again at the thought of Troy.

"I know you do. And I promise if he steps outta line, that asshole ain't gonna get very far." Daryl threatened making Rhiannon smile. She leaned against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, happy that their little disagreement hadn't turned into a full blown fight.

"Thanks for talking me down. I know I can get a little crazy sometimes."

Daryl smirked. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

This earned his a playful slap to his chest as Rhiannon narrowed her eyes at him in feigned offence.

"Watch it, Dixon. My emotions are still running high, it's a dangerous time."

"Wouldn't be the first time." He mumbled, earning himself another half hearted shove.

* * *

Rhiannon was hunched over the map of the nearest town, with Rick and Daryl sitting at the table with her as they planned for the next run.

"Is this the only map we have? It doesn't show any housing units so we don't know the population count."

"I think there's more in the Warden's office. There was a whole stack last I saw." Rick answered.

"Alright, I'll go check." Rhiannon muttered as she stood from her spot with a groan, her legs having fallen asleep from her sitting position.

"I'll go with you." Daryl said, quickly getting up to follow her and promptly ignoring Rick's knowing smirk.

The two of them made their way through the halls of the prison, Rhiannon looking up at him playfully as they walked.

"What?" Daryl asked, his lips quirked up in a small smile.

"You know, for someone who likes their privacy, you can be pretty transparent."

Daryl scoffed and raised a questioning brow.

"I could've gotten the maps on my own. This isn't exactly a two person job."

Daryl looked down, avoiding her teasing smile, and he shrugged. "Don't get a lot of time alone together." He explained vaguely.

Rhiannon's heart fluttered, something that was very common when she was with him and she smiled at him endearingly.

She leaned into him and intertwined her fingers through his.

"I know what you mean. I'm starting to really hate the council."

Daryl chuckled. "You could always join, we'd be seein' a lot more of each other."

"Yeah, but then I'd have to boss people around. I don't wanna do that."

"You boss me around." Daryl pointed out.

Rhiannon scoffed in amusement and shook her head. "It only counts as bossing you around if you actually do what I say. You're way too stubborn to have anyone tell you what to do."

"You were tellin' what to do last night." He smirked and Rhiannon's face flushed when she thought of the night before where they spent a suspiciously long amount of time in the shower room with a chair propped up under the door to keep anyone else from coming in and getting an eye full.

Rhiannon shook her head, looking at him in amused disbelief as she bit her lip.

"You're getting pretty good at this whole teasing thing."

"Learned from the best." He shrugged.

Rhiannon smiled and was going to continue to tease him, since she loved seeing his cheeks flare pink, when she heard a crash in one of the offices down the hall.

Her brows furrowed and she stopped in her place, giving Daryl a confused look. His face was blank in concentration as he strained to hear where it had come from.

"What the hell was that?"

"I dunno." Daryl said lowly and reached out his hand to her, gesturing for her to get behind him.

Rhiannon kept close to him as they slowly made their way down the hall, making sure to keep their footsteps light. Incase it was an unfriendly or, worse, a walker, they didn't want to make their place known.

"Don't touch me!" They heard a muffled yell before another crash sounded. "Stop, please." The voice pleaded.

Rhiannon's heart dropped. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she could've sworn she recognized that voice.

She pushed past Daryl who began to whisper her name frantically. As he reached out to try and hold her back, she burst through the door and what she saw made her heart jump into her throat.

Her face paled and she immediately felt tears sting her eyes at the sight of Troy pushing himself against Beth, his hands scrabbling at the hem of her shirt, desperate to get it off despite her struggling.

Daryl moved quickly, lucky for them, as Rhiannon was frozen in her spot, her face crestfallen with horrified disbelief. Troy was pulled off of Beth and Daryl threw him to the floor, quickly moving to hover over him intimidatingly as his fists began to pound into his face.

Beth cried, placing a hand over her mouth as she watched the violent display. Rhiannon noticed her shaking like a leaf and the sight of her hair and shirt in disarray finally had her moving.

Rhiannon helped her straighten out her shirt to protect her modesty and quickly wrapped her arms around her, her eyes squeezing shut in agony as she felt Beth trembling against her, her face buried in the crook of her neck as she cried.

Having heard the commotion from down the hall, one of the ladies from Woodbury, who Rhiannon still hadn't learned the name of, peeked her head in the room. Her eyes widened and she looked at Daryl fearfully, clearly thinking the abrasive hunter was lashing out at some poor innocent man.

Rhiannon grit her teeth, feeling angered by the judgemental look on the woman's face.

"Get Rick." She snapped, telling the lady sternly. "Now!" She urged when she realized the woman was still watching the room with a gaping expression.

"Are you alright?" She asked, slightly pulling away so she could see Beth's face and make sure she had no injuries.

She nodded frantically, though the terrified expression on her face didn't have Rhiannon believing her in the slightest.

Beth looked over her sister's shoulder and winced, hiding her face back into Rhiannon's shoulder to avoid the sight in front of her.

Rhiannon turned and felt her stomach twist when she saw the blood that seemed to pour out of every inch of Troy's face. _Asshole deserves it._

"Daryl." Rhiannon called out but his motions failed to stop. "Daryl, stop."

Daryl's next swing faltered and he looked over his shoulder to see Rhiannon who was cradling Beth against her. She gave him a warning look. _Not in front of Beth,_ she told him silently.

Daryl breathed heavily as he got to his feet, staring down at the unconscious man below him with disgust. He stomped over to the sisters, his hand moving to the small of Rhiannon's back.

"You ok?" He asked, looking at Beth worriedly.

Beth nodded again and wiped her eyes, embarrassed that the two of them were seeing her this way.

"Come on." Rhiannon said softly and guided her out of the room, making sure to block her view from seeing the gruesome sight that was Troy.

She breathed deeply, her lip trembling slightly when she heard the quiet sobs still coming from Beth.

Daryl, hearing quick footsteps coming towards them, strode forward and saw Rick and Glenn running towards them.

"What's goin' on?" Rick asked, his voice laced with concern. It wasn't until he got closer that he saw the condition Beth was in and his eyes widened in horror. "What the hell happened?"

"The kids were playing down here yesterday and they forgot some of their toys so I came down to find them and I guess he followed me. I didn't even know he was there, he just was… _on_ me." Beth rambled without taking a breath, her voice trembling, on the verge of hysterics.

Rhiannon's jaw clenched as she had to force herself not to run back into the room and take a few kicks to Troy's unconscious body, but there was no way she was letting go of Beth, not when she was so shaken up. Her hand ran up and down comfortingly against her back, her other hand running through her tangled hair soothingly.

Glenn poked his head into the room, his eyes widening at the sight of Troy and he quickly looked away. "What do we do?" He asked, his heart aching at the sight of his traumatized sister in law.

"I'll take her back to the cellblock." Rhiannon said quietly, beginning to guide Beth forward. Daryl looked pained at the sight in front of him, looking at the young girl sadly, before moving to see Rhiannon's troubled expression.

"We'll take care of him." He told her gruffly and she nodded. She could hear how protective that one statement sounded and she sent him a weak, but grateful, smile.

It ended up being the longest day they'd had in a while. Rhiannon stayed by Beth's side as Hershel looked her over. She hated being the one to tell him what happened. The haunted look on her father's face as he heard of his youngest daughter's assault was something she never wanted to see. She'd gotten enough of seeing that heartbroken expression when he found out about Alex.

News had spread quickly. It was pretty hard to hide a crying Beth as they came back when the cell block was constantly crowded with people.

Rhiannon sat on the floor next to her bunk, her hand running through her hair in a rhythmic motion, lulling her to finally relax. She began to sing Moon River and a sad, tearful smile grew when she saw Beth smile up at her and mouth the words along with her.

Maggie suddenly rushed into the cell, her chest heaving as she panted. "I just heard what happened. Is she ok?" She asked frantically, her face shrouded with worry and sadness.

Beth looked up and she pursed her lips together, trying not to fall into another outburst of tears

Maggie's face fell at the expression she saw on her baby sister's face and she stepped forward, taking a seat on her bunk to wrap her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry." She mumbled, her eyes looking over Beth's shoulder to share a brief, heartbroken look with Rhiannon who watched her sisters with soft eyes.

"Beth? I know you don't wanna talk about this. But we need to know you're ok, that he didn't...do anything else." Rhiannon said softly, as if to not scare her away.

Beth nodded and took in a deep breath, her lip quivering slightly. "He didn't do _that_." She stressed, not able to say the word that was on all their minds. "He said I'd been sending him signals, that I'd been teasing him, that he knew I wanted him."

Her voice broke off and she slammed her lips shut. She didn't want to talk about this, she didn't want to relive what he'd told her, how he'd pushed her against the wall and rubbed himself against her.

"I told him to stop and he just _wouldn't_ listen."

Rhiannon breathed deeply and looked down, her vision blurring with tears. She hated that this had happened, that her innocent baby sister had to go through something so violating. She hated that shit like this, which had always happened to women around the world, was still happening. She hated that Beth had to know what it felt like to have her control taken from her.

"Bethie," Rhiannon started, reaching over to hold her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You are so strong and so sweet, I know you're gonna pick yourself back up, you're gonna hold your head high, and show that son of a bitch that he didn't break you."

Beth looked up at her big sister, her eyes less haunted than they had been before. She knew no matter what she'd be feeling tomorrow, or even next week, it wouldn't mean the end of the world. The two women cuddled against her had her believing she could move on with minimal scarring.

"When-" Beth started, but suddenly exhaled loudly and looked down at their intertwined hands. "When you got your…" She trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

Rhiannon's throat closed up and her face paled. She was talking about the scars she carried on her back, the day when _her_ control had been taken from her.

"I know this isn't the same thing-"

"Don't do that." Rhiannon interrupted softly. "Don't start comparing hardships. It's useless. We were both hurt. I moved on, I feel fine, and soon, so will you."

"You know we're always gonna be here for you." Maggie interjected.

Beth nodded, smiling at her sisters weakly. She didn't know how long this horrible feeling would weigh her down, making her chest feel heavy, but as she laid down, her sisters on either side of her to make sure she never felt alone, she had a feeling it wouldn't be as long as she dreaded.

* * *

Daryl knew he should've been exhausted, but the adrenaline and anger was still coursing through his veins, making his leg bounce erratically as he sat at the table. This was definitely the longest council meeting they'd ever had. Time was mostly spent just trying to understand what had happened. The idea of sweet, innocent Beth getting hurt was unfathomable.

"So we'll keep him locked up in A block tonight and tomorrow morning we'll send him on his way." Glenn stated with finality.

"Do we need to get set some supplies aside for him?"

"Nah, that asshole ain't gettin' shit." Daryl spat. "He's lucky we're even lettin' him live after what he did."

He'd voted they take him out like last weeks trash, but some of the others weren't comfortable with a straight execution, no matter the atrocity he almost committed.

The meeting was finally over as every agreed to see the man off tomorrow with nothing but the clothes on his back. Daryl stood from his seat and trudged his way out of the room, his exhaustion finally catching up to him.

"Daryl," Hershel called out, stopping him in his spot. "I just wanted to say thank you for what you did."

"What I did?" Daryl asked in confusion.

"This could have been a lot worse if you and Rhiannon hadn't shown up when you did." Hershel spoke softly, a dark look passing over his features. He sighed and looked up at the hunter with admiration. "I know I'm a man of faith that usually abhors violence, but seeing that man's face busted up, well, I can't tell you how proud I am to have you apart of my family."

Daryl looked at Hershel in surprise. Was he really thanking him for beating that bastard to a pulp? He certainly never could have imagined he'd be having this conversation with the old man.

Noticing the incredulous expression on the man's face, Hershel let out a light laugh, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you'd done for Rhiannon, and now Beth. We're certainly lucky to have you, son."

 _Son._

That word rattled around Daryl's head and it made his stomach jump in that nervous way it did when he felt his emotions rising, something that seemed to be out of his control.

He looked at Hershel and nodded, not having the gall to use words to express his gratitude. The man had become more of a father to him than his old man ever was.

Hershel noticed his touched expression and smiled softly. "Get some rest, you deserve it after today."

Daryl nodded and mumbled a quiet thanks, still feeling overwhelmed by his kind words.

Hershel motioned with his chin and together they made their way back into the cell block. Hershel wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his youngest daughter and never let go.

Daryl went his separate way, walking up the stairs to his cell, but his brows furrowed and panic began to crawl up his throat when he saw that it was empty.

"Think I found who you're looking for." Hershel called out quietly and gestured for him to come back down to the first floor.

Daryl made his way back down and followed Hershel to where he stood in front of Beth's cell. He poked his head in and his shoulders sagged in relief, finally realizing what had Hershel smiling so wide.

All three sisters were fast asleep, with Maggie spooning Beth in her bunk while Rhiannon laid on a mattress on the floor next to them. Beth had her arm slung over the bed, her hand brushing against Rhiannon's as they slept peacefully.

Daryl smiled and he felt nothing but adoration as he looked at his girl. The thought of spending the night away from Rhiannon wasn't something he'd ever want, but he could make an exception for this. He knew how much it meant to her to spend time with her sisters, given their rocky past, and he definitely wasn't going to stand in between that.

As Hershel bid him goodnight, Daryl was about to go up to his cell, but he paused, sparing another look at Rhiannon. He quickly noticed she didn't have a blanket and, as quietly as he could, he went up to their shared cell and took the blanket off their bed.

He made his way back down to Beth's cell and stepped in with soft steps, making sure not to disturb any of them.

He gently laid the blanket over Rhiannon, letting himself indulge in his desire to touch her, and brushed his thumb against her cheek lightly.

He smiled, watching her sleep peacefully for a few seconds, before finally making his way up to their cell to turn in for the night.

* * *

Daryl pushed Troy in front of him, not worrying about roughing him up. Rick stood by his side, his hard eyes trained on the man's back.

"You really gonna do this? I told you pricks, it was a mistake." Troy pleaded the same story, but to no avail. Both men rolled their eyes and ignored his protests.

"You can't just kick me out!"

"Yeah, we fuckin' can." Daryl growled, pushing him again, harder this time, and he almost lost his balance and fell to the floor.

Daryl smirked. _Guess I gotta push harder next time._

"This is murder."

Rick clenched his jaw, he was getting tired of hearing that idiot's voice. "Fitting punishment for a rapist, don't you think?"

"I ain't a rapist!" Troy yelled fiercely.

"Yeah, too bad we stopped you before could become one." Daryl growled sarcastically.

As they made their way through the maze of hallways, they were getting close to the back door when they ran into Rhiannon, Maggie and Glenn.

Rhiannon looked up with wide eyes, she hadn't known they were going to be coming through here. She certainly hadn't wanted to see the man that violated her sister. But she had to admit, seeing him covered in bruises and dried blood was satisfying.

Noticing Rhiannon's smirk, Troy became enraged.

"You fuckin' bitch," He spat through gritted teeth.

Before any of them could react, Troy rammed into Rick's side, slamming his against the wall and quickly did the same to Daryl, catching both of them off guard.

Rhiannon stood in front of him defiantly as he stared back at her with hatred in his eyes. She pulled her sword from the sheath across her back and her eyes blazed with a fierce protectiveness. She would love nothing more than to cut the man that hurt Beth. It was almost a miracle that she'd been given the opportunity.

Troy scoffed and before he could make another move, he was tackled to the floor. Daryl was getting tired of fighting this asshole, but he'd given him no other choice. The two men wrestled on the floor and as Daryl moved to grab the gun from his waistband, Troy clocked him in the side of his head, disorienting him long enough for the man to grab his gun from him.

Rhiannon paused, she was ready to skewer him with her sword and get him away from Daryl, when there was suddenly a gun pointed at her head.

"Whoa, easy, man." Glenn said, pulling Maggie behind him and taking a small step forward, but stopped as Troy aimed at him.

Rhiannon lowered her sword and stared at him intently, her chest heaving as that horrible fear creeped through her as he moved the gun back to her and she stared down the barrel of the weapon that could potentially be what ended her life.

"You've been a real pain in my ass." Troy seethed and as he aimed the weapon for her chest, no doubt wanting to make her suffer rather than end it quickly. Rhiannon's heart raced and before she could even blink, a shot rang out, making her jump.

Her mouth fell slack with shock as Troy crumpled to the ground. She looked up, seeing Daryl standing behind the man, holding Rick's gun with a white knuckled grip. He had seen red when he saw Troy threatening Rhiannon, anger seeping through every pore and he didn't even think twice as he practically tore Rick's gun from it's holster.

Rhiannon looked at Daryl with wide eyes before looking down at the body in front of her. She swallowed thickly at the gory sight and took a step back to avoid the growing blood puddle.

"Hey, you ok?" Maggie called out, shaking her out of her daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said breathlessly, her heart still racing from having the gun pointed at her threateningly.

Glenn sighed, finally releasing his tight grip on his wife's waist and took a step forward. "We gotta get this cleaned up before the kids find it."

Daryl stepped over the body and his arms moved around Rhiannon's waist holding her still so he could look at her intently.

"You alright?"

She nodded, her hands running up his arms lightly. "Thanks...for that." She said quietly, sparing a quick look at Troy before looking away again.

"I gotta deal with this but I'll find you later, ok?"

"Yeah." She nodded and, though she looked hesitant to leave his side, she let go of him and walked slowly away from the men, making sure not to look at Troy again.

* * *

Rhiannon sat on the furthest table away from the crowd, preferring to be left in silence. She didn't feel like making pointless conversation, not after what had happened the last couple of days.

She took a long drag from he cigarette she held between her fingers, feeling herself relax as the nicotine flowed through her.

"There you are." She heard behind her and turned to see Daryl making his way towards her.

He took a seat next to her and promptly stole the cigarette from her and brought it to his lips. He blew out a cloud of smoke and handed it back to her, looking at her intently.

"What's goin' on, you ok?"

"Yeah, just a little shaken up I guess."

Daryl looked at her curiously, his eyes narrowing, as if trying to read her expression to find his answers.

Rhiannon sighed deeply and looked over at him, reaching for his hand to intertwine their fingers. "You killed a guy today." She mumbled

"You mad?"

"No, no, definitely not. The world's better without men like that." She assured him.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I dunno, I just… you killed someone to protect me."

Daryl's brow furrowed. "Ain't gonna let you get hurt." He defended, sounding slightly on edge, like he had to convince her he had done the right thing.

"I know. I guess it's still kinda crazy to me that anyone could love me enough to kill for me." She said quietly and Daryl's eyes widened, like she'd said the craziest, most outrageous thing he ever heard.

"Rhi, you know I love you, you know I'd do anything to keep you safe."

"I know, I've never doubted that. This world is just so fucked up that something like that makes me swoon and love you even more. I don't know how to feel about that."

Rhiannon didn't know why this was bothering her so much. She'd killed before, Daryl had killed before, and yeah, the first time it had shaken her deeply, but nowadays she knew it was what they needed to do in order to survive.

Maybe it was because she'd lived communally with Troy, had eaten dinner at the same table as him and had seen him day after day, totally oblivious to how wrong it would end up.

Every other person she'd killed had been strangers, faceless people she forced herself not to dwell on, but now, the person had a name, had a face she recognized, and it was unsettling.

But it was more unsettling that she was happy the man was dead. That was never something she thought she'd ever feel. She didn't ever think she'd celebrate the end of someone's life.

She turned to face Daryl and before he could say anything, she crashed her lips to his fiercely. He made a sound of surprise, but kissed her back with just as much need as she was giving him.

She pulled away breathlessly before they could continue any further given that they were still in public, and rested her forehead against his.

"You know I love you, right?"

Daryl nodded, looking at her shyly. "Love you too, and I ain't never gonna feel bad for protecting you."

"I'm not asking you too. I think I'm just having trouble processing everything."

"What can I do?" He asked, hating to see her in distress.

Rhiannon shrugged and smiled softly. "I guess I'll just have to stay glued by your side until I figure it out."

Daryl smiled and kissed her softly and sweetly. "You won't find me complainin'."

Rhiannon closed her eyes and leaned against him, letting herself relax completely in his arms. Daryl suddenly stiffened against her and looked down, biting his lip nervously.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you… 'bout him and Beth. Should'a listened when you said you didn't like it."

Rhiannon shook her head and moved her hand up to cradle his face. "Don't do that to yourself. No one could have know _this_ is what would happen. I don't blame you for that and you shouldn't either."

Daryl nodded, but he still looked unconvinced. "Just feel bad."

"I know you don't feel like you're apart of the family, but you are, exactly the way Glenn is." Rhiannon told him sincerely. She remembered him saying months ago that he thought her sisters didn't care about him and it had bothered her for awhile, she didn't know how to convince him.

"The way you were so protective over Beth, that was just-" She sighed, trailing off, as she tried to find the right words. "You're so sweet and you have no idea how much that meant to me."

Daryl had no words, he just held onto her tighter, pulling her back in to lean against his chest as his chin rested on the top of her head. He felt overwhelmed with the love he was being given day after day, something he still wasn't quite used to even after all this time.

It was a day he would remember, he would make sure of it. The day Daryl Dixon finally belonged to a real family.


	60. Chapter 60

Rhiannon couldn't help but grin widely as she looked over at Daryl who lay beside her. She turned on her side and huddled closer to him, laying a hand on his chest that rose and fell with each of his panting breaths. She reached out and pushed his dampened hair out of his eyes.

"Holy fuck." He mumbled, still out of breath. His hand lay over hers that rested on his chest, intertwining their fingers. "Think we were too loud."

Rhiannon laughed and leaned in closer to him, placing a kiss to his shoulder and beginning to make her way up his neck, reveling in the shiver that left him from her touch.

"I don't give a shit." She whispered and Daryl smirked, closing his eyes in contentment as his hand moved up and down the soft skin of her back.

Rhiannon, despite having been thoroughly ravaged just seconds before, felt a fire beginning to stir within her again. He set every inch of her buzzing with need. She let out a low moan and threw her leg over his, the kisses she pressed to his neck becoming more fevered and sloppy.

Daryl looked down at her in surprise, his eyes narrowing questioningly. "What's gotten into you?" He asked lowly, a smirk gracing his features as she nibbled on his neck.

"You complaining?" She asked, raising a teasing brow.

"Fuck no." He mumbled and leaned down, crashing his lips to hers roughly. Rhiannon moaned against him and tightened her grip on his hair, tugging lightly. She tried not to smile and ruin the kiss at the sound of a growl leaving Daryl's throat.

Daryl was starting to feel himself twitch back to life as she kissed him deeply, her hands roaming the broad expanse of his chest, her nails dragging lightly, causing goosebumps to adorn his skin.

Rhiannon's hand traveled down and as she gripped onto his half hard cock, Daryl jumped, his eyes going wide and he stared down at her with the cutest look of confusion she'd ever seen.

"Seriously?" Daryl asked quietly. It wasn't often they made time for sex in the morning, especially two rounds and even rarer when they knew they had jobs to do that day.

"Darlin' we got shit to do." He rasped, a low moan following as she stroked him slowly, working him to full hardness.

"Mhmm." She mumbled, not ceasing the desperate motions of her lips on his neck.

"Rhiannon." Daryl warned, his head falling back to the pillow as his eyes slammed shut. He felt himself beginning to give in to her, despite knowing it wasn't the smartest idea, given that they'd planned a big run for the day.

"The sun's barely up. You know Merle likes to sleep in." Rhiannon mumbled flippantly.

Daryl cringed, he really didn't want his brother being mention as his girl pleasured him. She had a point though, it wasn't likely they'd be heading out within the next hour.

Rhiannon got up to her knees and moved to sit on his lap, twisting her hips as she moved to subtly grind against him.

Daryl groaned, his hands moving to grip onto her thighs to keep her steady.

"If you wanna stop, we'll stop." Rhiannon told him, sitting up in his lap, her fingers trailing down his chest slowly.

Daryl looked up, his eyes moving from her face, down to her breasts, and back up. The spark he saw in her eyes had him swallowing thickly. He was doomed.

His lips twitched up into a smile and his hands moved up her thighs to her waist and up to reach her breasts.

"Don't you dare stop." He whispered, his raspy voice sending shivers down her spine.

Daryl, barely having caught his breath from their first round that morning, was breathing heavily again as Rhiannon kissed and bit at his chest as her hips grinded against his.

She reached down, gripping onto his length and didn't waste anymore time, sinking down onto him slowly. Daryl's body went rigid and his hands moved to grip her waist tightly. His eyes fell closed and his lips parted with a long moan.

Rhiannon smiled and bit her lip, gripping her breast as she took him deep inside her. Her hands lay flat on his chest, her nails digging into skin as she rocked her hips against his. A shaking breath left her lips and she threw her head back, feeling overcome with desire.

It wasn't unusual for her to feel so ravenous and delirious with need for him, he tended to have that effect on her, but even _she_ didn't know exactly what had gotten into her this particular morning, especially since they weren't alone in some secluded cabin.

They were always careful not to get too carried away when in the prison, surrounded by people. She didn't know what made her say 'fuck you' to her inhibitions, but she definitely wasn't going to complain.

Her hips moved faster and her breaths came out in high pitched gasps as she quickly felt herself lose control.

Daryl watched her move on top of him, his jaw slack and eyes wide with awe. Just the sight of her, her face twisted with pleasure, had him feeling close to his edge already.

He groaned and bucked his hips upwards, reaching deeper inside her. Rhiannon bit her lip to stifle what would have been an extremely loud moan and dug her nails into his chest harder. Daryl hissed at the slight pain and his grip on her hips tightened as he helped her move on him faster.

Rhiannon, despite his tight grip, slowed her pace and eyed him intently.

Daryl moaned and arched his back, trying to thrust against her, desperate for more friction. "Rhiannon." He growled, pleading with her to move faster.

She smirked in triumph, she loved that this strong man could become so undone and fall to his knees under her touch. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his in a messy kiss that he immediately deepened, desperate for any kind of touch she gave him.

He was able to reach even deeper in this position, which had them both gasping at the sensation.

His hands moved up her back to grip onto her shoulders as she finally picked up her pace. His head fell back and he let out a gruff moan.

" _Fuck,_ Rhiannon, fuck, oh god." He breathed out, his mind beginning to feel hazy with pleasure.

The sounds of his pleasure had Rhiannon feeling dizzy. She moved faster and let out a loud moan as he hit that special spot inside her that had her seeing stars. Daryl quickly reached up, placing his hand over her mouth, his befuddled brain just able to recognize that they were still in the prison with other people.

Rhiannon smirked and took his pointer finger into his mouth, biting down just hard enough to have him groaning in pleasure.

"Daryl," She breathed out, feeling her body beginning to tense as felt herself dangerously close to the edge.

She gripped onto the sheets beneath them and gasped with each heavy breath that left her. She sat up again and moved frantically, high pitched moans leaving her lips, ones that might have embarrassed her had she been more coherent, but at this point, she really didn't care.

Daryl leaned forward, his mouth latching onto her breast, his teeth pulling at her nipple piercing, knowing it always drove her wild. He smirked at the shudder that ran through her and let out a deep groan as she moved her arms around his neck and gripped onto his hair tightly.

Rhiannon let out a long moan and bit her lip tightly to try and stifle it. "Mmm, Daryl. Feels so good." She whined breathlessly. She pushed at his chest so he was laying on his back again and twisted her hips expertly, watching with a satisfied smile as he groaned, his mouth falling slack in response.

Daryl watched her with fascination, his grip tightening as he felt right on the edge with her. He bit his lip, forcing himself to stay as quiet as he could as he watched her come undone on top of him.

"Oh fuck, Daryl." She moaned, his name beginning to fall from her lips almost like a prayer.

Her body shuddered, her head falling back, toes curling as she reached her intense peak. She at least had the wherewithal to slap her hand against her mouth to stifle her potential scream of pleasure.

She made sure to keep her hips moving, knowing Daryl was close behind, she could tell by the look in his eye as he watched her in awe, something she'd learned to recognize over their numerous trysts together.

Daryl's back arched slightly, his teeth gritting tightly as he released himself inside her. His jaw fell as she tightened her walls around him, pushing him climax to the extreme. He let out a whimpering groan that he knew he would later be bashful about and felt his body shaking under hers.

"Uhh, fuck." He moaned, his eyes squeezing shut as the intense orgasm faded, leaving him feeling spent and drowsy.

Rhiannon let out one final, hearty gasp and she let her shaking body lay on top of his. Daryl wrapped her arms around her tightly, his hands moving up her back slowly and reached into her hair, running through her sweat slicked strands gently.

"Fuck." Daryl breathed out. "You alright?" He asked, knowing how much that orgasm had rocked him, he at least hoped she was feeling the same way.

Rhiannon nodded and rolled off of him, but she immediately pulled herself in close to him, not wanting to be even an inch apart.

"I love you so much." She said with a wide, relaxed smile.

Daryl laughed. "You're just sayin' that cause'a the hottest fuckin' sex known to man?"

Rhiannon laughed and shook her head. "I fuck you like that _because_ i love you."

"Good, cause I love you too."

Rhiannon smiled, the sight making his heart flutter wildly in his chest. She groaned as she rolled over to Daryl to get out of bed. "I guess we can't ignore the real world for much longer."

Daryl mirrored her annoyed groan and rolled onto his stomach, letting his eyes fall closed. The back to back rounds of hot sex really took it out of him. He would prefer to have a nap before going on the run.

Rhiannon reached for one of his t shirts that was much too big for her and threw it on carelessly. She could hear people waking up and moving around downstairs and she didn't exactly wanna be buck naked in case anyone came looking up to their cell for them.

She looked over at Daryl and smiled endearingly when she saw him lying peacefully with his eyes closed. As slowly and stealthily as she could, she reached for the polaroid camera that Glenn had brought back from a run a few weeks ago, that she'd managed to steal for a night.

She already had a ton of pictures of her sisters and her father, and of course Carl and baby Judith, but she had yet to get one of Daryl. He flat out refused and would turn away every time she brought the camera up.

Seeing one of her only opportunities to catch him off guard, she kneeled down next to the bed and raised the camera to her eye.

Daryl was perfectly peaceful and was probably only a few minutes away from falling back to sleep, when he heard the shutter of a camera.

His eyes snapped open and when they landed on Rhiannon, holding that damn camera in her hands, giggling like a mischievous school girl, his eyes widened.

"You fuckin' didn't." He growled and sat up in bed, reaching out for the polaroid in her hands.

Rhiannon laughed and stood, holding her arm high above her head. Daryl looked at her lamely, he didn't why she thought that'd be a good plan, it wasn't news that literally every adult at the prison was taller than her. He reached for the picture and she giggled triumphantly as she held it out of his reach.

"You have one of me, it's only fair that I have one of you." She told him, trying to rationale with him.

She was right. He'd been keeping the photo of her Glenn had taken in the pocket of his vest for a few weeks now. As soon as he had pointed the camera at the two of them, Daryl had hidden behind her, burying his face in her hair as she smiled widely at the camera.

He loved carrying it around with him. Occasionally, he would pull out the picture and look at her smiling face, finding his own smile working its way onto his face. She tended to have that effect on him.

"Are you gonna get up or are you gonna wallow?" She asked with a smirk. He sent her a playful scowl and she rolled her eyes. "It's only fair, Dixon. Get used to it. I'm gonna be carrying this with me forever." She smile, holding up the photo of him with a wide smile.

He couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto his face, he couldn't even pretend to be mad at her.

A sudden knock at their cell door had them both turning around in surprise.

"Am I interrupting?" Merle asked, looking back and forth between the couple with a knowing smirk. He couldn't help but notice the lack of clothes from the both of them and it made him smile even wider.

"What do you want, Merle?" Rhiannon asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Well, if you're not busy, we'd like to get goin' on this run." He teased, not hiding the fact that he was checking her out.

"Merle, keep your eyes to yourself." Daryl warned with a gruff voice, noticing how his eyes roamed over Rhiannon's bare legs and up to her chest that his baggy shirt did little to hide.

Mere rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Nice scratches, Darleena." He said as he pulled the sheet in their doorway back into place as he left their cell.

Daryl looked down at his chest and blushed deeply when he saw the red scratches Rhiannon's nails had made in his chest. He looked over at her and he couldn't help but hold back at laugh as she let her amusement show with a delightful laugh that made his chest ache.

"Are you planning on getting up anytime soon?" She asked, kneeling in front of him.

"If I have to." He mumbled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his quickly.

Daryl didn't bother moving. He stayed in his spot, watching as she got dressed. He began to feel himself get turned on again at the sight of her bare skin, but he knew he wouldn't be lucky enough to indulge in her again this morning.

"I'll meet you downstairs." She told him, giving him another quick kiss and she smiled at him, leaving him breathless as she stepped out of their cell.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair that her fingers had tangled. He got dressed quickly, not wanting to be away from her for too long.

He shook his head at the thought. If the person he was two years ago could see him now, he'd be terrified. He never knew how much one person could influence his life, could make him see the good in the world when he thought it was impossible.

He made his way down the stairs to the common area where he saw Rhiannon sitting with Maggie and Sasha. He noticed immediately that Rhiannon had a scowl on her face.

"What's goin' on?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.

"Chrissy's talkin' with Glenn. She hasn't left him alone all morning." Maggie told him, her voice low with what sounded like constrained annoyance, like she didn't want to admit that she was upset.

"And?"

" _And_... the girl's a snake. I've been saying it from the start." Rhiannon told him, giving him a stern look. "Just give me the word and I'll take care of it." She told Maggie.

Daryl sighed heavily and gave Rhiannon a knowing look. "You know nothin's gonna happen. Glenn ain't the type to screw around and that girl knows what she's got comin' if she does anythin'. She's scared shitless of you." He told her, but as soon as the words had left his mouth, the group at the table watched as Chrissy laughed loudly and placed her hand on Glenn's bicep, giving him a flirtatious smile.

"Whoa." Sasha mumbled, her eyes going wide at the display. "Well that was definitely something."

"That doesn't mean anything, she was just laughin' at his joke."

"Daryl, when has Glenn ever made a joke? With those damn Star Wars comments, when has he ever said something _that_ funny?" Rhiannon hissed, her narrowed eyes locked onto Chrissy in a harsh glare.

Daryl's nose scrunched as he thought of those horrible jokes he'd heard in the past. There was no way Chrissy found him that funny.

"So, what? Beat the shit out of her for comin' onto Glenn?"

Maggie sighed and placed her head in her hands. "Ugh, I knew her livin' here would bite me in the ass." She mumbled.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her." Rhiannon said with a smirk as she began to pull her sword from her sheath across her back.

"Rhiannon." Hershel warned from his spot at the table next to them. He'd been peacefully eating his breakfast when he noticed his eldest daughter reaching for her weapon. He knew that couldn't be good a sign.

Her eyes went wide and she looked over at her father. Seeing his stern, fatherly glare had her hand falling, her sword falling back into its place.

"Just trying to help." Rhiannon muttered, sounding slightly embarrassed at being caught, especially by her father no less.

Daryl laughed and nudged her lightly, successfully making her smile up at him.

"Don't worry 'bout Glenn. Dude's harmless. Chrissy won't get far." Daryl told Maggie reassuringly, having seen how uncomfortable Glenn looked in the woman's company.

"She sure as hell won't." Rhiannon stated simply and moved to get up from her seat, her sights set on the woman she hated.

Daryl sighed and grabbed her arm, stopping her and sitting her back in her seat. "Don't." He warned, giving her a stern glance that looked more amused than anything.

Rhiannon groaned in annoyance. "Fine." She threw her hands up in defeat. "That bitch is lucky you have such a goddamn moral compass."

Daryl snickered and stood, reaching out his hand for her to take so they could make their way outside to get set up to go on the run.

As they walked outside to the courtyard where almost everyone at the prison was sitting eating their breakfast, Rhiannon immediately missed the days when it was just their group. Things seemed so much easier back then.

She hated all the wandering eyes on her.

They were walking past the table Carl and his friends were sitting at when she heard hushed snickers erupt from the group. Rhiannon looked over at them and a few of the boys blushed as they made eye contact with her and quickly looked away.

"Guys, shut up." Carl told them in a hushed tone, looking annoyed.

Rhiannon smiled, she found it endearing that he stuck up for her, even if it was just harmless teenage obsessions that literally left no effect on her life.

Carl looked up and his eyes met hers, his cheeks flaring red when he noticed she was aware of the teasing that went on among his friends on her behalf.

She smiled widely and sent him a sly wink as she passed.

"Did you see that?" Carl's friends whispered in amazement.

Rhiannon sighed and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't get what she was doing to make all these boys so entranced with her. It was annoying more than anything else.

"You're messin' with those poor bastards' minds." Daryl spoke up, having noticed the interaction.

"What do you mean?"

"You wink like that again and they might just drop dead." He chuckled.

Rhiannon looked at him with confusion. "Seriously, a wink? That's all it'll take?"

Daryl shrugged. "It'd work with me."

"If you survived this morning with me I think you can handle an innocent wink."

Daryl's eye widened and his body tensed. He knew no one else who could possibly overhear wouldn't realize how blatantly sexual that comment was, but he did, and he couldn't stop the way his cheeks flared pink as he thought back to their wonderful morning together.

"Stop." He mumbled, nudging her lightly as a smirk tugged at his lips.

They saw Carol at the grill wave them over and as they got closer, Rhiannon felt her stomach twist at the smell of the greasy meat cooking. She swallowed thickly and wondered the type of scowl it would take Daryl to give everyone to not let her be the laughing stock of the prison if she threw up in front of everyone. She wasn't a breakfast person and the thought of eating that greasy meat had her feeling queasy.

She exhaled deeply and averted her gaze from the meat.

"You alright?" Carol asked, noticing the disgusted look on her face.

"Yeah, just not really in the mood for squirrel first thing."

Carol nodded and rummaged through the shelves of the counter they'd made for the courtyard. She found one of the only granola bars left and handed it to the sickly looking woman.

"No, I'm fine. Give it to someone else." Rhiannon immediately waved her off.

"Rhi," Daryl said sternly, giving her a look of impatience. "Take it. Don't need you passin' out today."

She knew she wasn't going to win this and she took the bar with an exaggerated smile that left both Daryl and Carol rolling their eyes at her antics.

"You two heading out soon?"

"Yeah, soon as everyone's ready."

Rhiannon began to make her way to the cars to load the bags, desperate to get away from the smell of the meat.

"Morning." Beth smiled to her big sister as she passed, quickly followed by Zach, the boy that had yet to leave her side for weeks, and he sent her a wide smile.

"Good luck today." He told her, looking almost eager to be talking to her. He acted that way with everyone that went on runs, it was like they were celebrities to him and Rhiannon hated it.

Rhiannon's smile fell constrained as she looked at the couple, giving them a weak wave. Her eyes stayed locked onto the teenage boy that was enamored with her baby sister. Thoughts of Troy whittled their way into her mind and she felt her chest ache with the memory.

She couldn't help but fear this new kid was just another spoke in what she worried would be a vicious cycle.

"Be careful out there." Beth told her sincerely, making her gaze turn back to her and immediately soften.

"I will." Rhiannon assured her. She watched them leave, her eyes staring hard into Zach's back. She stared long after they were gone, deep in thought with the worst case scenarios she could conjure.

"You ok?" Daryl asked, noticing the crestfallen look on her face as soon as he approached her.

"Fine." She mumbled, not sounding convincing at all.

Daryl eyed her questioningly and ducked his head, catching her eyes with his. "You don't gotta worry 'bout Beth with that kid. It's been weeks and they both seem happy. The kid practically drools over her. If I were you, I'd be disgusted, not scared."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes and looked over at him, clearly not agreeing with him. "That doesn't help. I don't wanna think about that either. And you're just defending him cause he's your little protege."

This time it was Daryl's turn to roll his eyes. He didn't understand why the kid was so obsessed with him and why he tried to so hard to figure out what his job was before the turn. He was a good kid, even if he was a little annoying.

Daryl looked at Rhiannon, now more serious that before. He knew this ran deeper than just Zach being annoying.

"You need to relax." He told her as nicely as he could, trying hard not to sound so judgemental or condescending.

Thankfully, the comment didn't make Rhiannon mad, something Daryl thought was probably unheard of. She nodded in agreement, looking down at her shoes.

"I know, it just bugs me. _He_ bugs me."

"He's a nice kid."

"I don't care if he was Ghandi, he's not good enough for Beth."

Daryl snorted and shook his head. "If Ghandi isn't good 'nough for Beth then who the hell is?"

"No one." Rhiannon stated simply. "So, we going or what?" She changed the subject, noticing the others making their way to the cars.

"Damn, you're stubborn." Daryl mused, looking down at her with a soft expression that had her lips quirking up in a smile.

"Is this really news to you?" She called out over her shoulder as she left his side.

She greeted Maggie and Glenn with a smile as the rest of the group got ready to go. She leaned into her sister discreetly.

"You know, the offer still stands. I can make it look like an accident." Rhiannon whispered, her cold scowl locked onto Chrissy from across the courtyard.

Maggie laughed and shook her head. "Tempting, but I don't want Daddy to ream you out. You've had enough of that to last you a lifetime."

Rhiannon waved her off, not looking put off at the thought. "I can handle that."

"Everyone ready?" Daryl called out to the group, interrupting their conversation. "We ain't gone out this far in awhile so make sure you keep close and don't do nothin' stupid."

Rhiannon smiled to herself. It wasn't exactly the greatest motivational speech she'd ever heard but it was perfect for Daryl. She found it absolutely crazy what this man could do to make her swoon and know she chose the right person to love.

They were complete opposites and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She got into the car, sitting in the middle of Tyreese and Sasha as Daryl drove with Merle in the passenger seat. That was usually her designated seat, but since she was the smallest, it only made sense that she sat in the middle. And no one particularly wanted to sit next to Merle Dixon. He was annoyingly fidgety.

The long drive felt even longer with the absence of music and the fact that she felt crushed by the hulking ex-football player sitting next to her.

She felt herself beginning to sweat with the close quarters and she shifted in her spot uncomfortably.

After almost two hours, they finally saw the sign for The Big Spot. Rhiannon wanted to sigh in relief as the car rolled to a stop, but she wasn't exactly thrilled to be getting started with this run. Big stores this like were always a big risk and she couldn't help but fear the worst.

Standing under the sun, waiting for Maggie and Glenn to get out from the back row of seats, she fanned herself with her hand, already feeling her skin beginning to burn under the harsh rays.

God, she missed AC.

"I don't feel good about this." Sasha murmured, staring at the big building in front of them worriedly.

"Yeah, me neither." Rhiannon said, not even bothering to try and make her feel better.

Daryl's eyes found hers and made his way over to her, his hand finding its way to her lower back. "Ready?" He asked to the whole group, but his eyes stayed on hers, reassuring that she was ok.

Rhiannon nodded and the group began to make their way forward. They made it to the back lot when they saw the first walker.

It was taken down easily as Daryl fired a bolt, hitting it directly in the forehead. They made their way closer to the store when they first began to hear the unmistakable sounds of what could only be a big group of walkers.

They all collectively sighed and shared looks of annoyance.

"So what now?" Sasha asked, looking to Daryl.

"Can't turn back now, it'd be a hell of a waste of gas."

"We can't leave without food, we barely have enough left for the next two days." Glenn said worriedly, making sure to stay close to Maggie as that familiar fear crept into his heart. He hated that these kinds of things kept happening. It was hard not to get disheartened.

Daryl looked around, biting his lip in concentration as he tried hard to think of a way out of this. Rhiannon noticed the look of deep thought on his face and she couldn't help but frown. She knew if this run didn't work out he'd shoulder the guilt. He always did.

Daryl's eyes suddenly locked onto an electrical pole and he noticed what looked like speakers attached to it. He looked over at the others, as he pieced together a plan.

"Ok, I think I have an idea. C'mon." He said quietly and motioned for the others to follow.

The others followed without question, trusting Daryl wholeheartedly not to lead them into a slaughter.

As they made it to the side of the building, they noticed the fencing in the front lot. No doubt the military had tried to set up camp there, trying to take advantage of the huge store.

They ran quickly into the fenced area, taking down walkers as they went and trying their hardest not to draw the attention of what might be hundreds of others.

Daryl motioned for them to stop and they all crouched down behind one of the bigger tents, thankful that it was one of the only corners that wasn't crawling with walkers.

"Ty, Sasha, you two keep watch, make sure nothin' gets close. If too many come your way, you get the hell outta there and call for back up. Merle, you go with Glenn, get the batteries from those cars over there."

Rhiannon watched with barely contained glee as Daryl gave out orders. She felt desire flutter in her belly for what was the third time that day, despite being satisfied twice already. She shook her head from the dirty thoughts invading her mind, but it was hard when what she had to focus on was the cause of her distractions.

"Maggie, you stay with me and Rhi. We're gonna look through these tents, see if we can find anythin' useful. Look out for rope, a radio, anythin' we can use."

Maggie nodded and with a parting reassurance to Glenn, she went to scavenge, signaling the others to move. Rhiannon moved to leave when Daryl grabbed onto her hand to stop her.

"Hey, stay close." He told her, his eyes alight with worry. He didn't like that they had to do this and separate everyone, but they really had no choice.

Rhiannon nodded, her eyes softening as she looked at him.

Together, they made their way through the grounds as quietly as possible. Rhiannon found a first aid kit, useful, but not for right now, and some duct tape.

She crept past a row of cots and her stomach turned when she saw a rotting body laying on one, practically skeletal after over a year of decaying. She felt her throat close up and she placed a hand over her mouth, trying hard not to puke at the sight and smell of it.

Bodies didn't usually bother her. She'd seen enough of them to be desensitized at this point, but for some reason she couldn't explain, this one really got to her. She breathed deeply and hurried her pace, hoping to get as far away as possible.

She fanned herself again and wiped the sweat from her forehead as she continued with her search.

"Found a stereo." Maggie whispered from the next tent over.

Rhiannon smiled and gave her a thumbs up, motioning for her to follow her to make their way back to the others.

"You two good?" Daryl asked as they approached him and they nodded.

"So, you gonna give us any idea of what the plan is?"

"We're gonna hook that stereo up to those speakers, connect it to the car batteries so it can keep playin' and keep the walkers distracted." He explained and promptly blushed at the impressed looks he got from both woman.

"And you thought it'd be a good idea to multitask, do some conflict resolution while we work?" Rhiannon asked, motioning with her chin to where Glenn and Merle were working together under the hood of the same car.

Daryl just shrugged, he didn't want to admit that he had a method to his madness. "Doesn't hurt to try." He mumbled.

Maggie smiled and placed her hand on his arm. "It's a good idea." She told him and he didn't know which idea she was talking about, but he was grateful it seemed to end the conversation.

Glenn and Merle made their way back, carrying the two car batteries. "Ok, so what's next?" Merle asked, his breath huffing out from the heavy weight of the battery.

"Anyone know how to hook this shit up?" Daryl asked. He figured with some time he could work it out, having an extensive knowledge on the mechanisms of cars, but he knew little about how the speakers or stereos work, and he didn't have the time to figure it out.

"I can do it." Glenn spoke up.

"You know about all this techy shit?" Rhiannon asked, looking at him curiously. She'd known he'd been a pizza delivery man before all this so she was surprised to say the least.

"Yeah, I…" He trailed off and looked down at his shoes, toeing at a crack in the cement, looking shy. "I used to play a lot of video games." He admitted quietly.

Rhiannon snorted in amusement and Maggie followed with a light laugh that she tried to hide with a fake cough, earning them a glare from Glenn.

"Alright, it isn't _that_ funny. And it is really that surprising?"

"I guess not." Rhiannon shrugged.

"Alright, climb up there and it hook it up." Daryl told him, pointing up to the speakers that rested high on the telephone pole.

"Climb? Up there?" Glenn asked, his neck craning to look up at the pole and he seemed to pale at the sight.

"You ok?" Rhiannon asked, noticing that he suddenly looked almost sick.

"Yeah, yeah, fine." He breathed out, but it was the least convincing thing she'd heard all year.

"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Maggie asked, suddenly realizing why he looked ready to pass out.

Glenn nodded slowly, looking embarrassed.

"Oh my god." Merle mumbled, dragging a tired hand down his sweaty face. "Now what?"

"I can do it." Rhiannon interjected.

"You know how this works?" Glenn asked, sounding very eager at the prospect of not having to face his biggest phobia.

"Yeah, I've seen enough sound systems to figure it out." She shrugged. She didn't want to mention that she'd dated one of the sound mixers at the dance studio she trained at. That would definitely make things awkward.

"You sure you wanna climb up there?" Daryl asked, now looking hesitant about his plan. When he thought of it, he sure as hell didn't imagine Rhiannon being the one to take the lead and climb up the dangerously high pole.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Daryl chewed on his lip, looking at her intently, before he shook is had. "Nah, I'll figure it out, I can do it."

"Daryl." Rhiannon groaned.

"No, I'm the one that came up with this plan, I should be the one to do it."

"Daryl, I did ballet, it was literally my job to have good balance." She argued.

Daryl sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Fine." He finally relented. He immediately grabbed the rope and moved towards her. "We'll be right here, holdin' tight. I'm not gonna let aythin' happen." He told her as he tied the rope around her waist.

Rhiannon smiled softly at how nervous he was. She reached up and took his face in her hands, making him stop and turn his gaze to hers.

"I can do this. I'll be fine." She assured him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

He nodded slowly and very reluctantly let her go.

She grabbed the stereo, double checking that there was a cd in there and tied it to the rope at her waist. She moved to stand in front of the telephone pole that looked dauntingly tall now that she was standing directly under it and swallowed thickly, forcing herself not to think about the sick feeling in her stomach.

She held it as they connected it to the car batteries with the extension cord Maggie was able to pull from one of the shot generators the military group had tried to set up.

"You really don't have to do this." Maggie said quietly, clearly on edge about her doing this.

"I can do it." Rhiannon repeated, trying not to be disheartened by the constant worry they were giving her.

"I'll give you a boost." Tyreese offered, moving to stand next to her. He leaned down, intertwining his fingers to give her a step up.

Rhiannon placed her arm around his shoulder and with one last glance towards Daryl who stood rigidly behind her, his hands up, ready to catch her if she fell, she stepped onto Tyreese's hand and allowed him to hoist her up. She reached up and gripped onto the first row of spokes that protruded from the side of the pole.

"You sure you got the muscles for this, Bambi?" Merle asked, watching nervously alongside his little brother.

"Yes, Merle, I'm capable of doing a pull up." Rhiannon called out while rolling her eyes. With a deep breath, she tried not to think about what would happen if she couldn't do this and ignore the nervousness that filtered through her.

"Come on, you can do it." She whispered to herself and with as much strength she possessed, she pulled herself up and climbed, slightly clumsily, until her feet reached the spokes and she could stop and take a breath.

Daryl watched with bated breath, despite his nerves he couldn't deny that he was impressed by her, and a little turned on at seeing her use her strength in a way he'd never seen before.

He shited on his feet, beginning to pace back and forth as he watched her climb higher and higher.

"Christ, lil' brother, this ain't Cirque du Soleil." Merle nudged him.

Sasha whipped her head around and looked at Merle incredulously. "How the hell do you know what Cirque du Soleil is?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and breathed deeply, trying not to lash out. He tuned out their conversation which seemed very trivial when his girl was risking her life at the same moment.

Rhiannon climbed slowly, trying her best to ignore the fear that crept through her. She didn't think she was afraid of heights, but with the way her heart was pounding in her chest, her body was telling her a different story.

 _Don't look down, don't look down._ The higher up she got the dizzier she began to feel. Once the small wooden plank that lay under the speakers was close enough, she hoisted the stereo onto it and clung to it, breathing a sigh of relief.

She took a step higher and with a shaking hand she pulled out the cords in the speakers. She thought she knew how to do this, but now that she was fifty feet off the ground, her brain was suddenly blank, with only the resounding fear of falling screaming in her mind like an alarm.

"Rhi, Rhi!" Glenn whispered, trying to be loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough to draw the attention of the walkers that roamed the area.

Rhiannon looked down and her breathing stuttered, suddenly feeling like she had vertigo as she looked down at what would be a steep fall. She slammed her eyes shut and leaned into the pole, her hand clenching on the small metal rung that was the only thing keeping her up.

"Find the red wire and plug it into the back of the stereo. It says A/V." Glenn told her, feeling sick himself as if it were him up there. Just watching was giving him anxiety.

Rhiannon nodded and did as he told her. She worked fast, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of this situation that she stupidly volunteered for. The sound of feedback had her wincing, the loud noise making her ears ring. Pressing play, the speakers cracked to life and some bouncy 80's song started blaring.

She looked down and saw everyone motioning for her to make her way down as quickly as possible. They needed to get out of there before the walkers came.

Rhiannon climbed down as quickly as she could while still managing to be careful and not fall. Her ears rang and the sound of the music began to sound distant as her vision turned on its side.

Daryl was there as soon as she was in reach. He grabbed onto her waist and helped her back down to her feet. Rhiannon stumbled, feeling like she could collapse, but his strong grip on her held her up.

"You alright?" Daryl asked, looking down at her in worry.

"Yeah, just dizzy." She mumbled, blinking the black spots out of her vision.

Daryl noticed her pale features, her glassy eyes, and he couldn't stop himself from beginning to panic.

"We gotta get you outta the sun. C'mon." Maggie said, giving Daryl a look which snapped him out of his worry and forced him to move, practically dragging her along as gently as possible to get her back to the cars.

Rhiannon saw Sasha, Merle and Tyreese fighting off the few walkers that made their way towards them. She reached for her sword across her back, but Daryl stopped her.

"Don't. Ain't need to be doin' that now."

"Daryl, we have to help them."

"I don't need you passin' out. Move." He ordered and before he could let her even try and fight back, he was practically carrying her away.

Eventually the rest of them followed, running to catch up to them as they made their way to the car.

Daryl placed her in the back and quickly got into the driver's seat, making sure to blast the AC as soon as the engine was started. Rhiannon almost moaned in relief at the feeling of the cool air on her sweat slicked skin.

The others climbed in and Daryl peeled out of the parking lot as if he were a stunt driver, needing to get as far away from this situation as possible. He knew this run was going to be stressful, but he certainly hadn't expected this.

"Everyone ok?" Rhiannon asked, double checking that everyone was there and there was no blood or bruises.

"Better than you, Bambi. If you're gonna hurl, make sure you do it out the window." Merle called out to her from the front seat.

Rhiannon gave him a sarcastically sweet smile and flipped him off. She ignored his laughing in response and rested her head against the window, having to close her eyes as just the sight of the passing scenery had her feeling dizzy and nauseous again.

Daryl drove like a bat out of hell, his eyes moving to the rearview mirror every couple of seconds to check on her. He was worried about her, he'd never seen her look so pale before, not even when she was suffering with her endometriosis.

"Daryl, you need relax before you kill all of us. She's not dying." Maggie scolded him. Daryl grit his teeth but he knew she was right and his lead foot lightened on the gas pedal.

The two hour drive was excruciating, but as soon as he saw the fences of the prison, he felt like a small weight had been lifted.

He drove through the gates far too quickly than he should have and stopped the car in an obscure position, not even bothering to really park it.

He moved to the back and opened her door, gently helping her out. Rhiannon looked at him lamley.

"Will you stop? I'm fine, just feeling a little off today."

"No I'm not gonna stop." He bickered and wrapped his arm around her waist to guide her inside. "C'mon, gonna get your dad to make sure you're ok."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes but she couldn't deny the flutter of her heart his protective and caring nature never failed to do.

He called out to Hershel as he was guiding her up the stairs to their cell and helped lay her down on their bed.

"You're such a drama queen." She muttered and he looked back at her, sending her wink which made her pale face smile, giving him the slightest reassurance that she was ok. Her smile always did that to him.

Hershel stepped in their cell, his worried gaze falling on his daughter who looked worse for wear.

"Is everything ok?" He asked, his worried voice making Daryl wince. No doubt he was fearing the worst after being called for help.

"She feels dizzy, almost collapsed out on the run. Felt sick this morning too." Daryl told him and Rhiannon looked over at him in surprise. She hadn't realized he'd taken note of that incident this morning when she refused breakfast.

Hershel frowned and moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed. He placed his hand on her forehead and moved it to her cheek after a brief second, smiling down at her warmly.

"Just sunstroke I reckon. Should be back to normal by tomorrow." He told her and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. Rhiannon smiled lightly, she felt like a child. She remembered a faint memory of her father looking after her when she had the chickenpox.

"I'll get you some water." He said softly, giving her hand a brief, reassuring squeeze before he stood to leave.

He paused in the doorway, clapping his hand to Daryl's shoulder. "You can breathe now, she'll be fine."

Daryl looked down at his shoes in embarrassment. He hated that people knew how uptight with worry he could get, but he couldn't help it, not when it was Rhiannon at stake. "Thanks." He mumbled.

Hershel gave the couple one last smile as he left and Rhiannon immediately turned to Daryl with a smug smile.

"Told you."

"Shut up." Daryl growled, chewing on his thumb nail as he looked at her. She was still pale and sweating and it still had him feeling uncomfortable. He moved to sit on the bed next to her, his hand intertwining with hers. "You scared me. Thought somethin' was really wrong." He mumbled and Rhiannon's eyes softened.

"I know. And you're so sweet for worrying. Always have been."

Daryl smiled and was about to lean in closer to her when a cough in the doorway of their cell stopped him.

Glenn stood there, looking bashful to interrupt them. "Daryl, we need you downstairs. Council meeting."

Daryl's jaw clenched and his hard eyes moved towards Glenn. "Ain't goin' nowhere."

"Daryl, go." Rhiannon told him. "I'm just gonna take a nap. I'll be fine."

Daryl sighed and looked at her intently. She gave him a stern look, which only really served to amuse him more than anything. He hesitated for a few seconds before nodded. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and stood, leaving the cell with Glenn, but stopped and looked back at her.

"Go." She pushed before he could say anything. He rolled his eyes and smirked, finally leaving without another word.

* * *

Later that night, Rhiannon was still in bed. She hadn't been able to take a nap, she never could, not when the sun was shining brightly and everyone else was bustling around, making noise.

She yawned, thankful that it was finally dark and people would be packing it in soon.

She read from some random mystery novel she'd been able to find in the library, lazily passing the time as she waited for Daryl to come back. After the council meeting, he had to help reinforce the fences, something she knew was irritating him, but even he couldn't slack on his duties.

Her eyes skimmed over the same sentence over and over again before she eventually sighed and gave up, slamming the book shut and tossing it to the floor.

"Hey," Beth poked her head in, a small smile on her face. "You weren't sleeping were you?"

"No, you're fine."

"Do you have a tampon I can use?"

"Yeah, they're in there." She pointed to her bag in the corner and Beth smiled at her gratefully.

"We're running low on these."

"I'll make sure to pick some up tomorrow." Rhiannon told her through a yawn.

"Good, could you imagine if we ran out? That would be a nightmare."

Rhiannon laughed and nodded. She looked at Beth for a few seconds, her face turning serious as she contemplated her next words.

"So? Are things getting serious with you and Zach?" She asked quietly.

Beth sighed in annoyance. She hated that her big sisters always bugged her about her love life, but that's what happened being the youngest with two strong willed older sisters.

"Not really. Just taking things slow right now." She answered with a shrug. She immediately noticed the worry on her sister's face and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "He's treating me right. Trust me, I warned him he'd have you to answer to if he did anything out of line."

"Good." Rhiannon smiled, feeling relieved that Zach wouldn't be causing any trouble.

"Goodnight." Beth said abruptly, looking at Rhiannon with feigned annoyance, though she really was happy to be over with the conversation.

"Night." Rhiannon mumbled as Beth left her cell.

Rhiannon smiled to herself and closed her eyes, feeling closer to sleep than she'd anticipated. She was in a relaxed state, her mind wandering as she willed herself to doze off, when suddenly her eyes snapped open.

 _Tampon. Beth needed a tampon. I had plenty to give because I hadn't used one in months._

Rhiannon felt as though she'd been hit by a truck as the realization crashed upon her. The nausea, the dizziness...the horniness this morning. She hadn't thought anything of it, but putting all the symptoms together was like a big warning sign she now couldn't ignore.

"Oh shit." She whispered shakily, her eyes wide with horror.

* * *

 **Welp. That happened.**

 **Season 4 starts next chapter, expect many twists and turns! Hope you're ready! xx**


	61. Chapter 61

Rhiannon lay awake, her heart racing, as it had been for most of the night. Daryl was sound asleep next to her, his arm over her waist, and she couldn't help but feel tense under his touch, especially so close to her stomach where their child could potentially be growing.

 _Their child._ God, that was terrifying.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, feeling nausea overtake her again. Probably just nerves, she told herself, as if trying to trick herself into believing it. _Or maybe it's morning sickness._ The thought had her holding her breath, her nerves going haywire at the possibility.

Maybe it really was sunstroke, maybe it was just a coincidence that all those symptoms happened on the same day.

As soon as she thought it, she had the urge to roll her eyes. When had life ever worked out for her like that?

She and Daryl had never talked about kids, it wasn't anywhere on their radar. It was so far fetched, they never bothered to even think about having that conversation.

Rhiannon looked over at him, watching as he slept peacefully, so carefree, so oblivious to the storm that was brewing in her mind. She didn't know if she wanted this, she didn't know how he was going to react. Probably not well.

It took him so long to realize that they could be a couple without much hassle, he was so insecure and damaged from his past. No doubt, a baby would shake that up even more.

She didn't want him to freak out, especially since she wasn't even a hundred percent sure she was pregnant. She didn't want to cause a panic on a hunch. Knowing Daryl, she knew she needed to take a test and be sure before she told him anything or else things would spiral out of control.

Her body tensed as Daryl's grip on her hip tightened and he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, placing a soft kiss to her skin as he woke.

"Mmm, mornin'."

"Morning." Rhiannon whispered, forcing herself to relax so he wouldn't notice that she was so tense.

"You feelin' better?" He asked, looking up at her with the softest expression she'd ever seen on his face, she immediately felt a pang in her chest. God, he'd be such a good dad.

Her back prickled and she swallowed thickly at the thought. Those kinds of revelations were downright terrifying. Her brain didn't know how to process any of this.

"I dunno, I think I'm still a little off."

Daryl frowned and propped himself up on his elbow. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I think you should stay behind today. I don't want you out there when you're not at a hundred percent. It ain't safe."

Rhiannon pursed her lips and nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's probably for the best."

Daryl looked at her in surprise. "Really, that's it?"

"What?"

"I was expectin' a fight."

Rhiannon just shrugged. "I don't want anyone getting hurt cause of me. You're right, it's not safe."

Daryl nodded, still thoroughly surprised that she was being so reasonable about this. Given their past history of Daryl trying to keep her from doing things, they should be in a full blown argument right about now.

"Just take it easy today." He told her and leaned down, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips before getting up from the bed to get dressed.

 _Yeah, take it easy. Find out if we're going to be parents or not, you know, relaxing stuff._

Rhiannon nibbled at her bottom lip as she watched him get ready. She knew it was a good thing that he wouldn't be at the prison, that there was no chance of him finding out what was going on before he should, which sounded ridiculous the more she thought about it. But, really, Rhiannon knew deep down that she needed to wrap her head around this before she could come to Daryl.

If her hunch was correct, if she was actually pregnant with his child, she knew she would need to talk him down from panicking and she couldn't do that until she herself had come to terms with it.

"Be careful out there." She said quietly as she saw that he was ready to leave.

Daryl smiled at her softly and leaned down to kneel in front of her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I will. You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, I'll probably just be staying in bed all day."

"Wish I could stay with you."

"Me too." She smiled, reaching out and tracing his bottom lip with her thumb. "I mean it, be careful. If there's one scratch on you I'm gonna be pissed." She said teasingly, repeating the threat he'd always given her when she went on runs without him.

Daryl chuckled softly and leaned in, kissing her slowly.

Guilt coursed through her, feeling like it was choking her as she indulged in his affection while she was keeping such a huge secret from him.

Daryl pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. "I won't be long." He promised, giving her one last chaste kiss before getting back to his feet and reaching for his crossbow, getting ready to leave.

Rhiannon kept a smile on her face for as long as she could and it was only until Daryl left their cell that she finally let her facade drop. She sighed deeply and laid back on the bed, wringing her hands together nervously.

Rhiannon didn't know how long she stayed in that position. She knew she should've gotten up and seen the others off, giving them her good wishes before they left for a dangerous run, but she couldn't force herself to get out of bed.

Her mind raced with the terrifying thoughts of how her life could potentially be changing forever.

Her hands slowly trailed down until they lay on her flat stomach. How long will it stay flat?

Rhiannon closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as she began to feel the grip on her emotions slip. Her mind drifted to Lori and she immediately felt her eyes water. Forcing the thought from her mind she sat up, breathing shakily as she placed her head in her hands. She didn't want to think about this anymore.

Slowly getting up, she went through the motions of getting dressed and strapping her weapon to her back, as if it were any other normal day.

She made her way downstairs and out of the prison, needing some fresh air. She didn't realize how much it had felt like she couldn't breathe until she was outside, feeling the breeze on her clammy skin.

She didn't see any familiar faces, which didn't help her already high strung emotions. Thankfully, she soon spotted Rick tending to the crops and she immediately started to make her way towards him, needing to find any kind of distraction from reality she could.

Rick smiled up at her, stopping his work as she approached, and pulled his gloves off.

"Hey, I wondered where you were. Daryl said you still weren't feeling great."

"Yeah, thought it wouldn't be the best thing for me to go out today."

"Well, what are you doin' out here? You gotta stay out of the sun." Rick told her, his face falling into a frown like a typical worried father would.

Rhiannon tensed again, her gaze falling to her feet. It really didn't matter if she was out in the sun or not, morning sickness would happen anywhere.

"You alright?" Rick asked, taking a step closer to her when he noticed the faraway look on her face and her eyes which held a certain worry he'd never seen before.

Rhiannon's heart dropped to her stomach and she soon realized she should've stayed in bed. She feared she would unravel and her secret would come pouring out at the slightest prodding. It was obvious nothing was going to distract her from this.

"You know, Daryl's gonna be ok. He's done this a thousand times, you don't have to worry."

Rhiannon's head raised to face him, her eyes wide, looking almost startled by his words. She felt so uncomfortable knowing she was under everyone's microscope just by being part of this tight knit group. She wouldn't trade it for anything, she loved all of them dearly, but when she had something so major hidden within her, she was starting to get why some people liked their solitude.

"Yeah, I know. Just can't help but worry." She mumbled, having to hide a wince at her lie. She was worried about him, don't get her wrong, but her mind was very preoccupied at the moment, and she had learned over the time they'd been together that she really didn't need to worry about him out beyond the fences.

If anyone could handle themselves out there, it was Daryl. If anything, she was more worried about herself.

Rick nodded in understanding, his warm expression making her feel worse about the huge secret she was keeping from him.

"Go rest. You need it." He told her, motioning back to the prison with his chin.

She nodded, a constrained smile on her face, feeling unusually uncomfortable by his concern.

"Thanks, Rick. I'll see you later." She said softly and quickly turned on her heel and left before he could say anything else.

Rick's eyes narrowed calculatingly as he watched her leave. She wasn't acting like herself, she'd been so quiet and on edge, that wasn't like her at all. He shrugged it off, _she's probably still feeling sick._

* * *

Rhiannon stepped into the prison, trying her best not to act too skittish around the others. She knew she couldn't put this off anymore. She couldn't keep speculating and thinking 'what if?'. She needed to know.

She breathed an enormous sigh of relief when she spotted Maggie. She was so thankful her sister hadn't gone on the run today.

She quickened her pace and almost threw herself in the free spot on the bench next to her. Maggie looked up, startled by her sudden appearance.

"I need to talk to you." Rhiannon whispered harshly.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked, her voice low. She could immediately tell that something was wrong. She hadn't seen Rhiannon look so serious in a long time.

"Not here."

Maggie nodded and stood from her seat, grabbing Rhiannon's hand and pulling her into her cell. "So what's up?" She asked once they were finally alone.

Rhiannon shifted on her feet nervously, her fingers tapping against her thigh in agitation.

"Rhi? What's going on? You're freaking me out."

"I-I need…" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pulling at the ends slightly. "I need a pregnancy test." She breathed out, a loud exhale leaving her once she'd finally said it.

She felt a tiny bit relieved that she'd finally said the words out loud, but she was still scared shitless.

Maggie's eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. She slowly lowered herself to sit on the edge of the bed, clearly stunned to silence as she just gaped at her older sister.

"Oh shit." Maggie whispered, mirroring the same words Rhiannon had uttered when the revelation had first hit her.

"Yeah." Rhiannon said bluntly, crossing her arms over her stomach nervously. "I don't know what to do. If I'm really... " She trailed off, unable to say the word out loud. "I don't know what I'm gonna do."

The frantic tone to her voice had Maggie stepping out of her shock. She knew her sister was close to spiralling and she needed to be there for her. She needed to be the strong one this time.

"Ok, take a deep breath. We're gonna figure this out. Don't lose your head over this just yet. How are feeling, do you have…" Her hand trailed down to her stomach to signify morning sickness and Rhiannon nodded slowly.

Maggie's face dropped in realization.

"Yesterday, it wasn't sun stroke."

Rhiannon shook her head, a shaking sigh leaving her.

"Ok, ok, uhm." Maggie stumbled for words, for anything she could do to help Rhiannon who was clearly struggling with the notion. "Take the test and then we can figure out what happens next. I'll be with you every step of the way, I promise." Maggie told her, holding onto her hands tightly.

Rhiannon nodded, still worrying her lip with her teeth, as she stayed quiet. Maggie rummaged through her things, finding the box of pregnancy tests she had to pick up a few months ago after she had a scare herself. She knew exactly the fear and panic her sister was feeling and she really felt for her.

Maggie handed her the box and Rhiannon took it from her with trembling hands. Maggie frowned and held her hands to her sister's face, forcing her to meet her eyes.

"Take a breath." She reminded her again. "No matter what, everything's gonna be ok."

Rhiannon nodded, swallowing back the emotion that welled in her throat.

"Let's go."

Rhiannon tucked the box under her shirt and stepped out of the cell, making sure Maggie was blocking her from the view of anyone close as they began to make their way out of the cell block.

"Beth," Maggie called out in a fierce whisper.

"What?" She asked, poking her head out of her cell.

"Come here."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Just come here." Maggie urged abruptly and Beth sighed in annoyance, trudging out of her cell to follow them out of the cell block.

"What are you guys doing?" Beth asked as they quickly made their way to the bathroom. Getting no answer from her sisters, she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hello? What's going on?" She demanded, watching with confusion as Maggie slammed the door shut behind them.

It was then that Beth noticed the ashen expressions on both of her sisters' faces.

"What's going on?" She asked again, now sounding more serious and worried.

Rhiannon slowly pulled the box out from under her shirt and Beth's eyes widened almost comically.

"You… you're… oh my god." She whispered, shocked at the revelation. That was the last thing she expected.

"We don't know for sure." Maggie interjected.

"Aren't you on birth control? Don't you have that implant in your arm?" She asked in confusion.

Rhiannon nodded and let out an unamused scoff. "Yeah, whole lotta good that did." She mumbled bitterly.

"Nothing's a hundred percent effective. Remember that." Maggie told her pointedly, almost giving her a warning. Beth rolled her eyes. Now was not the time for some sisterly advice on her sex life.

"Well, when was your last period?"

"I dunno, a few months. But that's not really out of the ordinary. My hormones have always been out of whack, the endometriosis fucks everything up." Rhiannon said quietly, almost solemnly.

"Well, take the test. It really could just be a bug going around." Maggie told her hopefully.

Rhiannon nodded, and slowly, almost reluctantly, she moved towards the makeshift stalls which gave the semblance of privacy. Her motions were slow and she could barely breathe as she did what she needed to do. When she was finished, she stared at the test intently, knowing that within just a few minutes, her life may be changed forever.

She stepped out of the cell slowly and looked at her sisters, giving them a weak smile when they saw their soft, reassuring smiles.

"How long?"

"Three minutes." Maggie told her, immediately reaching out to wrap her arm around her shoulder. "You know, this could be the best thing to ever happen to you. I know you don't feel like it now, but look at how you are with Judith, how Daryl is with Judith, you guys will be great parents."

Rhiannon nodded, her mind wandering as she began to picture her life with a baby, being a mom, and Daryl being a dad. The thought had her smiling, it would certainly be adorable, Daryl holding a little bundle of joy. Seeing him with Judith is enough to make her swoon, if it were their own child, her heart may just explode.

"What are you thinking about?" Beth asked quietly, as if she didn't want to disturb her deep thinking.

"I dunno." She whispered, her brows furrowing. She leaned against the wall and allowed herself to slide down until she was sitting on the floor, Maggie and Beth following shortly as they sat on either side of her. "Daryl would be a good dad." She blurted out after a long pause.

Maggie and Beth looked at each other in surprise, mirrored looks of shock on their faces.

"Yeah, he would." Maggie smiled softly, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "And you'd be an amazing mom."

"You're kid would be cute as hell." Beth interjected with a giggle.

Rhiannon smiled and nodded as she thought more about a chubby cheeked kid with her freckles and Daryl's icy blue eyes. It made her heart jump rapidly in her chest.

As her mind wandered, her smile suddenly fell and pure fear encapsulated her expression.

"What?"

"I can't stop thinking about Lori." She breathed out, her heart aching at the memory of the poor woman who died so horrifically.

Maggie's face dropped, swallowing down the lump in her throat as she forced herself not to think about the woman whose life she ended. That memory still haunted her and the thought of it happening to Rhiannon was downright heartbreaking, it was too much to fathom.

"You're not her." Beth spoke up, realizing Maggie wasn't going to be much comfort, given that she was lost in those horrible memories. "What happened that day was a freak thing. You'll have daddy, you'll have all of us. It won't be the same."

Rhiannon looked up at her baby sister, in awe of how mature she sounded. They had definitely come a long way in the past couple of years.

The door suddenly opened and all three women jumped, looking startled as Carol walked into the room. She stopped, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the sisters in confusion.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a laugh, before she noticed their expressions and she realized something serious was happening. "Is everyone ok?" She asked slowly, her eyes staring at each sister calculatingly.

Rhiannon avoided the older woman's gaze fidgeted with her fingers nervously. Maggie and Beth weren't much help either, they both stared at Carol with wide eyes, their mouths gaped open, but no words escaping.

"Someone better answer me." Carol demanded, beginning to get worried.

Rhiannon groaned, her head falling into the palm of her hand as she wordlessly help up the pregnancy test.

Carol's mouth dropped open and she placed a hand over her chest. A wide smile suddenly overtook her features and let out a breathless gasp of a laugh, sounding delighted.

"Oh my god, you're… oh my god."

"I don't know yet." Rhiannon said monotonously.

Carol, hearing the dead pan of Rhiannon's voice, quickly made her way over to the Greene sisters and knelt in front of them, placing her hand on Rhiannon's knee comfortingly.

"Rhiannon, whatever you're thinking, you need to stop it right now. I know I can't tell you how to feel, but you know you can do this, you know you and Daryl will get through this." Carol assured her.

Rhiannon shook her head, her eyes beginning to well up. "We never talked about this. I don't even know if he wants kids."

"What do _you_ want?" Carol asked simply.

Rhiannon paused, she didn't know the answer to that. Her mouth opened, but quickly closed, having no words. Did she want this? Could she be a mother? She couldn't deny that, although it was terrifying, having a child could be amazing. She saw how happy Rick was when holding Judith, could she really have that?

Before she could figure out what exactly her mind was saying, Maggie placed her hand over hers.

"It's time."

Rhiannon exhaled shakily and gripped onto the test in her hands tightly. _It's now or never._ She slowly looked down and the sight of that little pink plus sign had her vision blurring from the tears that welled in her eyes.

They all watched her carefully, looking for the slightest tick in her expression that would give them the answer.

"So?" Carol asked softly, her hand holding onto her knee tightly.

Rhiannon raised her head and her wide eyes met theirs. "I'm gonna be a mom." She breathed out quietly, sounding stunned.

All three woman looked at Rhiannon in shock, though they couldn't stop the small smiles from growing. They didn't know how she felt about this, but they couldn't deny that they were thrilled at the news.

"I'm gonna be a mom." She repeated, almost in disbelief. She suddenly let out a breathless laugh, a wide smile changing her weary features. "I'm gonna be a mom!" She cried happily, placing a hand over her mouth as a few tears escaped and trailed down her cheeks.

The three women let out a sigh of relief and laughed along with her, pulling each other in for a group hug.

"Holy shit." Rhiannon whispered, feeling overwhelmed, not only by the news, but also by the sudden affection she had for the little life growing inside her.

"So you're happy? This is what you want?" Maggie asked, trying and most likely failing, to keep her emotions in check.

"Yeah...I think this is what I want." She mumbled, still sounding slightly stunned. "Holy shit, I'm gonna be a mom."

Beth smiled and held her tighter. "You're gonna be a great mom."

"I can't wait to spoil this kid." Carol said with a wistful smile.

"Ok, ok, relax. I still have no idea how to break the news to Daryl or if he's even gonna be happy about this. I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet." Rhiannon waved them off.

"What are you saying?" Maggie asked, her eyes going wide with fear.

"Not _that_. I'm keeping this baby. I just… the thought of not having Daryl to raise this baby with me is terrifying. I don't wanna do this without him."

"Rhi, you can't possibly think that he would leave. That man is so crazy about you, nothing would ever come between you." Carol told her immediately, trying to stop this train of thought before it could go any further.

"She's right. He might be a little freaked out at first, but he would never leave. He's a better man than that." Maggie said and Rhiannon looked down, beginning to feel guilty that she'd even thought of that.

She knew Daryl was an amazing man, an incredibly sweet man, and she hated that her mind even went there.

"So what the hell do I say, I mean how do I even start-"

The door to the bathroom suddenly opened, startling all four women. Rhiannon quickly put her hand behind her back, hiding the test, as Karen walked into the room.

Her eyes widened and she looked down at the women who were sat on the floor with confusion.

"Uh, hi? What are you guys doing?" She asked, looking at them questioningly.

"Nothing, just having girl time." Carol smiled sweetly without any hesitation, the lie slipping out easily.

"Ok, well, Maggie, it's your shift at the fences."

"Right, I'll be down in a few minutes." Maggie told her and Karen, giving one last confused glance at the women, left the room.

They all simultaneously sighed, slumping down in their spots.

"I can get someone to cover for me." Maggie said, looking at her older sister worriedly.

"I'll be fine, go. I don't want people getting suspicious."

"You sure? We can stick by you, I know you're freaking out a little." Beth interjected.

"Guys, really I'm fine. Honestly, I'll probably just try and sleep for the rest of the day. I was so worried last night I didn't sleep at all."

"I'll walk you back." Carol offered and Rhiannon shook her head.

"I gotta throw up, I'll probably be in here for awhile."

Carol nodded in understanding while her sisters grimaced and turned their noses up.

"Thank you guys, for everything. I don't think I could've done this alone." Rhiannon told them, feeling herself welling up again.

"I'm so happy for you." Maggie said again and pulled her in for a tight hug. Rhiannon took her time hugging Beth and Carol and watched with a small smile as they left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Rhiannon sighed deeply, her hand trailing down to rest against her still flat belly that wouldn't be flat for much longer.

A spark of fear settled deep within her again, but this time, she could definitely feel excited butterflies, too. A part of her couldn't wait for what happens next, to meet the little one she knew she would love with every inch of her being.

* * *

After spending what felt like hours in the bathroom, her nausea had finally subsided and she was able to get down a few spoonfuls of oatmeal Carol had all but shoved down her throat.

Rhiannon was almost regretting getting those woman involved in this. They were all watching her like a hawk now, making sure she had food and water and giving her death glares when she tried to take a shift down at the fence.

It was dark now and Rhiannon was pacing her cell nervously. It had been so long since the group had left on the run and with every passing hour, she was getting more and more panicked.

A soft knock on her cell door had her flinching in surprise, but she relaxed immediately when she saw it was Carol. The older woman looked at her softly, a sad smile on her face.

"How you doing?"

"Going crazy." Rhiannon said simply, resuming her pacing. "They should be back by now. I thought it'd be an easy run, we got all the walkers out of the way. It shouldn't be taking this long. What if something happened?"

Carol listened to Rhiannon rant and she sighed heavily, stepping into the cell and grabbing onto her shoulders to stop her in her place.

"Relax. Daryl knows what he's doing. Glenn, Sasha, Tyreese, Michonne, they all know what they're doing and they're going to be fine."

Rhiannon nodded, exhaling deeply as she allowed Carol to gently guide her to sit on the bed and she took her spot next to her, her arm winding over her shoulder comfortingly.

"I thought stuff like this would get easier, but it's only getting worse. I can't even go a day without him."

Carol smiled and reached out, gently moving her hair over her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with that. You two love each other, no one's faulting you for that."

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged.

"So do you have any idea how you're gonna break the news to Daryl?" Carol asked, finally getting the question she'd been dying to ask off her chest.

Rhiannon groaned and leaned back against the wall behind her. "I don't even wanna think about that."

"You were happy a few hours ago, what happened?"

"I am happy, but I'm still terrified. I don't know what I'm doing and I'm positive he's gonna freak out. Kids were never a discussion and I don't know if this is gonna go over well." She said softly, her eyes brimming with tears. She wiped at them furiously, hating how hormonal she'd become. It was already getting on her nerves and she still had at least eight months left of this.

Carol frowned, hearing the downtrodden tone to her voice. She could understand why she was worried, Daryl didn't exactly take to change well and she knew it was more than likely that he'd freak out, and not in a good way.

"Get some rest. Staying up and worrying yourself won't do you any good and it sure as hell won't do your little one any good."

Rhiannon looked up, almost startled by her words. Carol smiled and placed her hand over Rhiannon's belly. She couldn't wait until she had a bump. "You two will be fine." She assured the younger woman.

Rhiannon smiled softly and placed her hand over Carol's, squeezing tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered, feeling overcome with emotion.

Carol leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead before getting up to leave. "Whatever happens, you're not gonna be alone for any of it. We'll always be here, including Daryl."

With that, Carol left, leaving Rhiannon to ponder her words, they helped calm her down but she still had that deep seeded fear of how Daryl would react.

Rhiannon laid back in bed and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep to end this stressful day. She only had a few minutes of peaceful silence to herself when she heard the sound of someone entering the cell.

Her eyes sprang open and her heart beat faster when she saw Daryl.

"Thank god." She breathed out and quickly stumbled out of bed, immediately throwing herself at him to hold him tightly.

Daryl's arms snaked around her waist to hold her close to him.

She didn't hear that usual chuckle or the teasing 'miss me?'. He was tense as stone against her. Rhiannon pulled away and looked at him intently. His stone cold expression was enough of an explanation and her shoulders tensed, her eyes growing wide with fear.

"Who did we lose?"

"Zach." He mumbled.

Rhiannon's mouth fell open in surprise and her entire body sagged in defeat. She was happy she didn't hear the name 'Glenn' or 'Michonne' fall from his lips, but to her Zach wasn't any better. Her heart ached for the young guy who had his whole life ahead of him, and poor Beth.

That girl couldn't catch a break.

"I should go tell Beth."

"I already did." He spoke up, his head finally raising to meet her eyes. The sadness she saw absolutely broke her heart.

"Is she ok?"

"She's fine." He shrugged, sounding surprised. "Didn't even cry."

Rhiannon frowned, that familiar worry creeping up again. She knew she should go check on Beth, that her little sister was no doubt hurting, but this cruel world had her too jaded to feel it.

But when she looked at Daryl, and her heart ached, she knew there was no way she could leave him, not when he was like this. She reached up, placing her hand on his cheek.

He looked at her and breathed a sigh of relief at her touch.

"Are you ok?"

He nodded, almost imperceptibly and leaned into her hand. Rhiannon frowned and pulled him in for another hug and he held her tightly, revealing just how broken up he was.

She knew Daryl had a soft spot for Zach. The kid had managed to worm his way onto his good side. She knew he got a kick out the kid's incessant questions, no matter how much he would deny it.

"You ok?" He asked, pulling back to look down into her eyes. "You still feelin' bad?"

Rhiannon tried her hardest to keep her face neutral and she nodded slowly. "I'm getting there."

Daryl's lip quirked up in a ghost of a smile and he pressed his lips to her softly, feeling his tense body relax as he kissed her. The events of the day were heavy on his mind and he did his best to make sure he wouldn't throw it all on her.

Rhiannon felt her stomach twist nervously. The words were on the tip of her tongue. A part of her so badly wanted to just blurt out 'I'm pregnant', but another, more rational part of her knew now wasn't the time.

Daryl was already emotionally compromised after losing Zach, no doubt shouldering the guilt over his untimely demise. Rhiannon knew he was taking responsibility for it, as he always did.

If she dropped the bomb now, he would not respond well. She felt bad, obviously. Keeping something so huge from the man she loved didn't sit well with her, but she was ultimately doing it _for_ him.

Tonight was about him, about making him feel better. She couldn't pass by his vulnerability, despite the fact that the huge news she had inevitably would change his life too. She needed tonight to be for him and not anything else.

"Come here." She said quietly and pulled him to the bed. Daryl complied without hesitation and laid down next to her, his arms slinging over her waist and pulling her in closer to his chest.

"They came outta nowhere." He mumbled, his mind continually torturing him with the image of Zach helplessly trapped under that shelf, the ceiling collapsing above them.

"There was nothing you could've done."

Daryl shook his head, fighting back a scoff. "You weren't there."

"No I wasn't, but I know you, the kind of person you are, and I know you would never have left someone unless you tried absolutely everything you could've done to help them." Rhiannon told him, too exhausted to even pretend to sound stern.

"Just tired of goin' through this. Don't wanna lose anyone else."

Thoughts of Lori drifted through her mind, for what was probably the thousandth time that day, and she thought of the life growing inside her and how it could potentially end up in the same bloody and horrifying conclusion as Lori.

She stiffened and clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to lose control of her emotions.

"I don't either." She whispered, thankful that her voice hadn't shook like she worried it would.

"Can't lose you, ever. Don't want nothin' to change." He told her softly, looking down at her softly. "Never would'a believed I could have somethin' like this."

Rhiannon stomach simultaneously filled with butterflies and twisted in agony at his words. He didn't want anything to change, that was a pretty clear indication to her that the life changing news she had definitely wouldn't go down well.

"You don't want things to change, ever?" She asked tentatively, trying to pry without seeming like she was prying.

"Nah, got everythin' I need." Daryl smirked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Rhiannon closed her eyes and grit her teeth, her body tensing against his. Daryl being Daryl, noticed immediately and looked down at her with a deep frown.

"You ok?" He asked worriedly.

Rhiannon forced herself to relax so not to raise any more suspicions and nodded, leaning in closer to rest her head against his chest.

"I was worried about you today. Glad you're ok."

Daryl leaned his chin against the top of her head, his fingers gently trailing up and down her arm.

She stayed stiff in his arms as he relaxed under her touch, fortunately not able to detect that she was in emotional agony. She listened to his breathing even out as he fell asleep next to her, and like the night before, she stayed wide awake, her mind taunting her with the worst possible scenarios it could come up with.

"Fuck." She whispered. She wasn't looking forward to what came next.

* * *

The next morning, Rhiannon was the definition of procrastination. She hesitated in waking Daryl, though she was surprised he wasn't awake already. She'd had to sneak out of the cell just before daybreak to go throw up and she was shocked to see him still sleeping soundly when she came back.

She dressed slowly, knowing that as soon as the day started she had to face her problems and come clean. She sighed deeply and sat on the edge of the bed, her foot tapping against the floor in a nervous rhythm.

Daryl stirred behind her and he smiled when he saw her already awake. His hand reached out and trailed up her back, under her shirt, catching her attention.

"Morning." She smiled lightly, looking over her shoulder at him. Just the sight of him had her heart racing and not in that 'god, I love you' kind of way. It was more in a dreading, 'I have to face my fears' way.

"Morning." He rasped and leaned up on his elbows, beginning to placed heated kisses to her neck, clearly in the mood for something a little more than a 'good morning' greeting.

Rhiannon tried to hide her wince as his hands roamed her body, as if he could find out what she was hiding just from feel alone.

"What are you doing?" She asked, trying to sound more lighthearted than she felt.

"Nothin'." He mumbled and she could feel him smirk against her skin.

"We should get going. I've slacked enough the last two days." She told him, gently trying to dissuade him without being too suspicious.

"It's still early, no one's gonna miss us." He told her and gently moved her chin so she was looking at him. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her heatedly.

Rhiannon felt herself melt against him, a low moan leaving her as his tongue ran across hers. She was so close to forgetting everything that had been plaguing her and letting herself get lost in his touch, but even Daryl couldn't erase the blaring worry in her head.

She pulled away regretfully and hung her head so he wouldn't just kiss her again, then she really would say 'fuck it' to her responsibilities.

"Daryl," She breathed out in warning, placing a hand on his chest.

Daryl looked at her quizzically, his brows pinched in confusion. It wasn't like her to be so hesitant. She was usually the frisky one who did a lot of the initiating.

"You alright? Still feelin' bad?" He asked, his hands roaming her sides comfortingly.

"I- uh, a little." She stammered, trying to figure out how she was going to word what she needed to say. Blurting out 'I'm pregnant' was a little too blunt and it wasn't likely he'd take to that too well.

Daryl frowned and pressed a kiss to her forehead before moving to get out of bed. "Are you sure it ain't anythin' serious? How long is heat stroke supposed to last?" He asked as he began to get dressed.

"I don't think it's heat stroke." She said quietly, her arms winding around her waist in a fragile gesture.

"So, what, you think it's the flu or somethin'?"

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut and gnawed at her lip anxiously. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Daryl, I wanted to tell you something. I know we haven't ever talked about-"

What was going to be her lengthy speech, breaking the news to him, was cut off by the sound of gunshots.

Her head snapped up, her face falling slack with surprise. Daryl was quick to react and he grabbed his bow, bolting out of the cell before she could say anything.

Rhiannon cursed under her breath and reached for her weapon, quickly running out after him.

"What's going on?" Sasha yelled, running out of her cell to meet her.

"A breach?" Rhiannon wondered aloud and Sasha swore in annoyance, her loud footsteps following her out of the cell block. "Stay there!" She yelled to Beth who was cradling Judith to her chest.

As soon as they were out in the courtyard, Rick was running towards her, his eyes wide with worry.

"Judith?" He asked breathlessly.

"She's fine. C block is clear."

Rick sighed in relief, his hand briefly squeezing her shoulder in thanks as they ran towards cell block D where the thundering gunshots were echoing from.

As they approached the cell block, they could hear the screams of chaos and despair. Daryl turned, his wide eyes meeting Rhiannon's.

"Stay close." He told her sternly. She nodded and moved faster so she was closer to him.

It was like a riot, people were running in every direction, gunshots firing, people screaming, children crying. Rhiannon had never seen anything like it.

She paused momentarily, taking in the scene in front of her in shock, before finally shaking herself out of her reverie and jumping into the action. She swung her sword at a walker approaching her and she tried not to think about how she knew all of these people.

The sound of a child's scream had her heart racing dangerously fast. She moved without a second thought but before she could help him, Daryl had swooped in and grabbed the child in his arms, shooting at the walker that had been coming for him.

Rhiannon's steps faltered and she had to ignore the fluttering in her chest at the sight of him holding the crying child and getting him to safety. She forced herself back into attention. Now was _not_ the time to be mooning over her man.

Carol ran into the room and her eyes almost instantly zeroed in on Rhiannon who was dodging the arms that reached out to her, her sword lodging itself into the head of a walker twice her size.

"What are you doing?" Carol yelled, running towards her. "You need to get out of here right now!" She demanded sternly.

"Carol, not now." Rhiannon groaned and kept fighting despite the look of contention on the older woman's face.

She almost jumped over the railing of the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. She killed a walker at the landing and moved quickly, grabbing one of the Woodbury ladies who was sobbing at the sight of her dead friend that had tried to attack her.

"Go, get in one of those cells and close the door." She ordered, practically pushing her towards the stairs.

The noise had quieted, there were no longer screams of agony or fear. Now, all that was left was the quiet crying of those who survived. Rhiannon was breathing heavily, taking quiet and slow steps down the walkway. She approached the corner cell and pulled the curtain back.

Her stomach turned and she felt bile rising in her throat when she saw a woman laying on her bed, her throat torn open. It was Hettie, the same old woman that loved to compliment her and Daryl. She was sweet, too sweet to have such a horrible ending.

Rhiannon breathed heavily and took a hesitant step forward. She quickly did what she needed to do, making sure she wouldn't be coming back, and practically jogged out of the cell.

Glenn startled when he saw her, almost bumping into her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." She answered breathlessly. "Is that it?"

"Think so."

"Rhi?" She heard a panicked voice from below.

"Up here!" She called out over the edge. Daryl's shoulder slumped in relief and he made his way up the stairs.

"You good?"

Rhiannon was about to answer when a stray walker came out of one of the cells, reaching for Glenn who was closest to it.

"Down!" Daryl yelled, quickly taking out the walker with an arrow as soon as Glenn was out of shot.

Rhiannon sighed in relief and helped Glenn back to his feet. Daryl approached them quickly, his hand finding her lower back in the slightest gesture of affection.

"I'm ok." She told him, seeing the look on his face and knowing how on edge he was.

Daryl breathed heavily, his heart still racing with adrenaline. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, his hand finding hers. He was always a lot more affectionate after stressful events, after he'd been worrying about her safety.

"Aww, shit. It's Patrick." Daryl said, looking down at the waker he'd just taken out.

Rhiannon's heart dropped as she looked at the gruesome sight of the teenager. She thought of Carl and how upset he'd be. They really couldn't catch a break.

"Rhi," Rick called out, his gaze looking more solemn that she'd seen him in awhile. "Can you do a headcount, find out how many we lost?"

She nodded, giving Daryl's hand a quick squeeze and a reassuring, but weak smile and she left his side to make her way back down to the first level.

It was a depressing job, counting all the bodies on the floor. She gave soft smiles to those that passed her, having no words of comfort for the mourners. She guided the survivors out of the cell block, wanting the kids to get far away from the room that looked like a scene out of a horror movie.

She ran a hand through her hair and slowly trudged her way back up the stairs. She noticed her father standing with the others, huddled around Patrick's corpse.

He looked over at her, sighing in relief when he saw her approaching. Rhiannon smiled softly and grabbed onto his hand, mouthing a reassurance that she was ok.

"How did this happen?" She asked, looking down and swallowing thickly at the sight of the bloody mess that was Patrick's face.

"Looks like some kind of virus." Dr. S answered mournfully. "An aggressive flu strain, weakens the system and bleeds them dry."

"Flu?" Daryl asked, perking up at the word he'd used just that morning to describe what Rhiannon might be going through. His heart dropped to his stomach and he looked at her with so much fear and worry, it had her insides clenching.

Rhiannon looked at the others, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights as everyone turned to face her, knowing exactly what Daryl was worrying about.

"Patrick died quickly. If what you had the past couple of days was this, you'd be dead already." Dr. S explained, though it did little to calm Daryl. He still looked wild with worry, Rhiannon could see his hands trembling from where she stood.

"But could it be the start of something?" Rick asked, his voice low with uncertainty.

Dr. S hesitated and pursed his lips, giving a slight shrug. "I know it's not what you wanna hear, but we really don't know enough about this virus to rule it out."

Rick dropped his head, his hand running through his hair as Glenn looked at her with sad eyes, filled with such pity, it made her feel sick. Daryl, on the other hand, was a lot more vocal in his displeasure and slammed his fist against the wall in anger.

"Nah, that's bullshit. You were dehydrated, overheated, that's it. You said it yourself, you're feelin' better. It ain't the same." He spoke sternly, but she could hear the underlying weakness to his voice, the fear that he couldn't hide.

Rhiannon wanted to burst into tears. She felt like she was being backed into a corner. Again, she didn't want to just blurt out that she had life growing inside her, that it definitely wasn't the virus she's been suffering with the past couple of days. With all those eyes on her she chose to stay silent.

Daryl was already freaking out and her finally coming clean wasn't going to calm him in the slightest. And she especially didn't want to tell with the other men standing there.

"He's right. We would've known already." Hershel spoke up. "But all of us in here, we've all been exposed. Right now, we need to focusing on stopping this from spreading any further."

Rhiannon felt her back prickle at her father's words. _We've been exposed._ Even if Rhiannon hadn't been suffering with the same thing, that didn't mean she wouldn't. The second she stepped into the cell block she put herself at risk, her baby at risk.

Her hand shook as it trailed down and rested against her stomach, as if her touch could be enough protection against whatever the hell might be running through her veins

This could be over before it even started.

* * *

 **Jumping right into the drama. Season 4 is going to be a wild ride.**

 **So glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter, the reviews I got made me smile, you guys are amazing! Hope you enjoy this one, too xx**


	62. Chapter 62

As soon as the group had disbanded, Rhiannon had all but sprinted out of the prison. She made it to the catwalk, thankful for the solitude as she felt like she was beginning to hyperventilate. She clutched at her chest, panting breaths escaping her as tears welled in her eyes.

The threat of the virus was terrifying. She had just gotten her head around the fact that she was going to have a baby, she already felt a connection to the little life inside her, and she might have ruined it.

And Daryl didn't even know. He'd been whisked away to a council meeting, she couldn't even intercept and have some alone time with him, not that she even really wanted to at this point. Seeing how high strung he'd been just at the slightest possibility of her being sick, it was enough to drive him to the edge and it really didn't persuade her to tell him the big news.

Loud footsteps jogging her way had her shoulders tensing and she furiously wiped at her tears, trying to hide any evidence of her breakdown.

Carol made her way to the catwalk, out of breath from running around, trying to find the woman she'd been looking for.

Rhiannon looked at the older woman, the hard expression on her face making her hang her head low.

"What the hell were you doing in there? Do you have any idea what could've happened, what could _still_ happen? You can't just think about yourself anymore, you have to think about your child." Carol yelled, her hands waving expressively with each frantic word.

"You don't think I know that?" Rhiannon yelled back. "If I had any idea what was going on in there I never would've stepped foot in that cell block. You don't think I'm terrified, you don't think I'm fucking kicking myself for being so fucking stupid?"

Carol's anger dissipated as Rhiannon spoke. She hadn't even really been angry at Rhiannon, she was just angry about the situation and scared about what could happen.

Rhiannon shook her head, more tears trailing down her cheeks. "I can't believe I thought I could do this."

"Rhi…" Carol trailed off with a soft voice, feeling guilty that she'd been so harsh. "Don't say that. Look, I'm sorry for jumping down your throat. I'm worried, too, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions. You're feeling ok, right?"

"Other than puking my guts out this morning, yeah." Rhiannon shrugged. "I mean, I'm pretty exhausted, but that's just because I haven't slept in two days." She rationalized, hoping it was her lack of sleep that was making her feel delirious and not the virus.

Carol nodded in understanding. She still felt bad for yelling, especially after seeing Rhiannon's tear filled eyes. She frowned and moved forward without hesitation, wrapping the younger woman in a tight hug.

Rhiannon's eyes fell closed as she held Carol. She began to relax in the woman's arms, feeling a kind of comfort only Carol could give her, it was the same kind of comfort her mother used to give her, one she'd been missing for years.

"I'm guessing you haven't told Daryl yet."

Rhiannon shook her head, frowning deeper at the mention of the man she felt she was betraying. "I was going to this morning but… you know what happened. And then everyone was so worried that I was sick and I just… I couldn't tell him then, in front of everyone."

"I get it. But you can't keep putting this off. He needs to know"

"I know, I know. I'll tell him when things calm down. As soon as this mess is over and we know for sure I'm in the clear, then I can sit him down and we can talk rationally about it."

Carol nodded. She understood why Rhiannon wanted to wait. Daryl was likely going to freak out and maybe even storm off. He didn't need any other stressors going on at the same time.

Carol looked to the younger woman with worry. She brushed a strand of hair away from her tear streaked face, tucking it behind her ear.

"Get some rest. You need it."

Rhiannon noticed her eyes moving down towards her stomach, as if she could tell by a single glance if the baby was ok or not. Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, she nodded and gave her hand a quick, assuring squeeze and she walked back into the cell block.

Stepping back into the prison put a chill down her spine. She had forgotten how dangerous this place could be. They'd been living peacefully for so long, it was easy for her to forget how fast things could go wrong.

Rhiannon noticed Carl sitting at one of the tables by himself, tracing the metal with his fingers as he stared down forlornly.

"Hey, Buddy. You ok" Rhiannon asked, moving to sit next to him, but hesitating once she realized she could carry on the virus and get him sick. She quickly moved to sit at a table farther away from him, hoping the distance between them would be enough to protect him.

She didn't want to leave him completely. They hadn't spoken much since all the new people had arrived, and she missed him.

"You're acting like I have cooties." He mumbled, a smirk on his face that looked more mournful than happy.

Rhiannon laughed softly and looked at him endearingly, amazed that he was able to find humour in such a dark time.

"It's ok, I've already been around my dad." He told her, subtlety motioning her closer. Rhiannon still didn't want to risk it and she only moved about an inch closer, her face turning serious.

"I'm sorry about Patrick. Are you doing ok?"

"I'm fine." He shrugged.

"You're allowed to be upset. He was your friend."

"Yeah." He mumbled and Rhiannon frowned deeply, looking at him questioningly at his monotonous response.

"He was sweet. He deserved more."

Carl nodded, his blank expression finally cracking as he allowed sadness to wash over his features. "He was naive. People like that don't make it long."

His cynical response had her wincing. No matter how true it was, she didn't want Carl knowing the reality of the world so young.

"No, I guess they don't."

Carl sighed loudly, his fingers now tapping against the surface of the table, almost impatiently. Rhiannon narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully. He looked more agitated than upset.

"Carl, what's up?" She asked, giving him a knowing look, letting him know she could see through his vague answers and she wasn't going to let it slide.

"I used my gun today." He blurted out.

"And?" She asked slowly, waiting for him to continue.

"It made me realize that things are changing. They're going back to the way they used to be."

"It won't be the way it used to be. You're smarter now, you're stronger." She told him simply. "You've grown up a lot since then."

Carl just nodded, though he looked unconvinced.

Rhiannon didn't know what to say to him. Angsty teenagers weren't exactly her forte.

"Are you feeling ok?" Carl asked suddenly. "My dad said you guys were exposed to this virus thing."

"I'm fine."

"Really? Why were up so early today? I saw you leaving the cell block."

Rhiannon's heart spiked and she looked at the kid, taken aback. "Just needed to go to bathroom." She stated simply once she'd gotten her bearings.

"So you're not still sick?" He asked and it was then that she could sense his worry and she smiled sadly, touched at his concern.

"I'm fine. Whatever's going on isn't what I had." She assured him. There was a part of her that badly wanted to tell him everything, but telling him she was pregnant before telling Daryl wasn't a good idea.

A loud yawn tore through her, cutting off the conversation. She knew she needed to rest, it had been a long couple of days and it wasn't good for her.

"You sure you're ok?" She asked again, not wanting to leave until she knew for sure that he was ok, that he could handle the shitstorm that had happened that morning.

Carl nodded, giving her a small smile. Rhiannon so badly wanted to reach out and pull him in for a hug, but she couldn't put him at risk, so she settled for a warm smile and a weak wave as she stood and walked back into the cell block.

She trudged her way up the stairs, her pace sluggish and weak. When she made it to her cell she flopped onto her bed, laying on stomach, her legs strewn haphazardly. She felt restless, turning onto her back to stare up at the ceiling.

She was exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come to her. She lay there for a few minutes and she just couldn't relax.

"God fucking dammit." She cursed through gritted teeth. Her mind wouldn't shut up enough for her to relax. She could hear people bustling about outside and it didn't feel right to be cooped up inside, trying to relax, while everyone else worked and did their part.

Despite thinking about the consequences, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, reaching for her weapon, and tiredly dragging herself out of her cell.

As soon as she made it outside, she was regretting her decision as the hot sun began to beat down on her. She spotted Maggie by the fences and the sight of the large crowd of walkers pushing at their only means of protection had her heart racing.

She jogged down to meet her, pulling her sword out as she went.

Maggie turned at the sound of footsteps approaching and her eyes widened when she saw it was Rhiannon.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be out here." She hissed, trying not to draw any attention to them from Sasha and Merle who were at the fences with them.

"I can't keep sitting on my ass."

"Yes you can. Someone… in your condition, shouldn't be doing this."

"Maggie, I'm fine. I still have two working hands." Rhiannon argued. She was really starting to dread this pregnancy if people were going to keep treating her like this.

Maggie moved closer to her but Rhiannon shook her head, taking a large step back. "Don't get too close." She pleaded and Maggie looked at her sadly.

"This isn't a good idea."

"If I start secluding myself people will get suspicious." Rhiannon said pointedly.

Before Maggie could start to argue, Rhiannon began stabbing her weapon through the chain links. Every time she took down a walker, a new one would appear. It seemed like the numbers never went down.

"You feeling ok?" Sasha asked from beside her as she worked.

"Yeah, you?"

"So far so good."

"Give it time." Rhiannon muttered, her cynicism like a reflex by this point.

"I heard Karen's sick. And David." Sasha said quietly.

Rhiannon's motions stopped and she looked over at Sasha with wide eyes. The virus worked fast, it made her stomach drop to her toes. There goes her chance at keeping any semblance of hope.

"Fuck." She whispered and brought her weapon up again, getting back to the task at hand, trying to keep Karen and David out of her mind.

Merle looked over at Rhiannon curiously, watching as she worked. He could tell she was tired, it was easy to see by they lethargic way she used her weapon.

"You sure you're feelin' ok, Bambi?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm fine." She shrugged.

Merle stopped working and turned to face her, his calculating gaze piercing her, making her feel small under his watchful eye.

"What?" She asked impatiently, looking at him in annoyance.

"You don't seem right."

"Thanks, Merle. You really know how to charm a lady." She muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Merle took a step towards her, his eyes narrowing further as he looked at her intently. He knew something was up with her. He couldn't help but worry that she'd gotten sick with the virus and was trying to hide it from everyone.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" She snapped.

Merle raised his hands in surrender, his brows raising in surprise at her outburst. "Just wanna make sure you ain't gonna start puking blood on everyone."

Rhiannon looked at him lamely, unamused by his quip, though she couldn't deny the stab of fear that hit her at the thought. She pushed the worry aside and turned her attention back to the fences.

The three women and Merle kept up their continuous motions, but the push on the fences never seemed to lessen. The snarling and moans even seemed to get louder. Rhiannon made not to focus too hard on the rotting bodies in front of her, her stomach was weak enough as it was.

The fences began to cave in and Maggie reached for Rhiannon, grabbing her hand to pull her back, despite knowing the dangerous potential a simple touch could have.

Rhiannon looked at her in desperation and pulled her hand away from hers.

"The fence isn't gonna hold much longer." Sasha said worriedly, as they backed up against the second fence behind them, trying to put as much distance between them and the walkers.

"Rick! Daryl" Maggie yelled over her shoulder, frantically waving the men over.

Rhiannon began stabbing frantically, acting almost like a machine with every methodical swing.

Daryl immediately found his spot next to Rhiannon and began picking off walkers alongside her, his gaze falling to her every few seconds. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look so exhausted before. It made his chest tighten with worry.

Rhiannon could feel his gaze on her, but she kept her eyes forward, focusing on the job.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Sasha yelled from her spot, catching the others' attention. "Is someone feeding this things?" She asked in disbelief.

Rhiannon craned her neck, her brows furrowed in utter confusion. When she caught sight of the rats that had been torn apart, their guts falling out of their small bodies, she felt her stomach twist and bile rise in her throat.

She placed a hand over her mouth and turned her back, hunching over as she promptly emptied her stomach, well, what little she had in her stomach.

Daryl looked over at her in surprise and didn't hesitate in reaching out, pulling her hair back in his hands.

"Shit, you ok?" He asked, his eyes flashing with concern.

"Hey, get back!" Rick yelled, grabbing onto Rhiannon's other arm to help Daryl guide her back as the walkers pushed at the fence relentlessly, making it cave in.

"Rhi? You good?" Daryl asked, his face creased with worry. His hand rubbed her back as he kept her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I'm good." She breathed out, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You sure?" He asked, looking at her intently. The worry she saw on his face made her chest ache and she longed to just fall into his arms and forget this was happening.

She nodded rapidly, regretting the motion immediately as she started to feel dizzy. "Fuck." She breathed out, placing her hand against her forehead.

"Take her inside." Rick instructed Daryl, his hands still holding Rhiannon's arm, as if worried she would fall to the ground if he let go, but he was sure Daryl's tight grip on her would keep that from happening.

Daryl nodded, still staring down at Rhiannon in worry.

"Don't be too long. I have an idea and I need your help." Rick told him, nodding his head to the group of walkers still pushing on the fences.

Daryl clenched his jaw, forcing himself to push past that instinct to lash out at Rick for telling him he couldn't stay with Rhiannon, but he knew he couldn't put off everything to stay with her, even when she needed him. He knew she would force him to go, too.

He gently guided Rhiannon back inside the prison, sending glares to the few bystanders that stared at her wearily, worried that she was the next sick patient.

Daryl leaned down pulling her up by her thighs so he could carry her up the stairs. Rhiannon closed her eyes, feeling another wave of nausea at the motion, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this." She mumbled tiredly, though she sincerely doubted she'd be able to get up the stairs on her own in her state.

"Yes I do." Daryl told her straightforwardly.

Once he got to their cell, he slowly placed her down on the bed, moving to untie her boots and get them off her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.

"You need anythin'?"

Rhiannon shook her head wordlessly.

Daryl sighed heavily, looking out the cell with a wince. He didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't ignore the fact that Rick needed his help, especially not when shit was hitting the fan.

"Daryl-"

"I gotta go." He said quietly and Rhiannon could clearly hear the regret in his voice.

"I know."

Daryl didn't move and his gaze met hers, his eyes softening at the sight of her sweat slicked, pale skin. He wanted to ask her if she was ok, if she was worse than this morning, if that short time she was in cell block D had damned her, but he couldn't. He didn't want to know the answer, he didn't think he was strong enough to hear it.

In a childish manner, he stayed quiet, as if not hearing it meant it wasn't true. He didn't want her to be sick, he didn't want to face it, so he wouldn't.

"I won't be too long." He told her, his lips pressing against her forehead quickly. "Try and get some sleep. You need it."

Daryl looked down at her, hesitating for a few more seconds, before he finally bucked up the courage to leave the cell. He didn't spare a look back at her, he couldn't. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave if he did.

Rhiannon's eyes stayed on the doorway of the cell, even long after he was gone. She swallowed thickly, feeling her control on her emotions beginning to slip. It was ridiculous to her that she still hadn't gotten the chance to tell him.

She knew life could be shitty, but she had no idea it could be this complicated.

She turned over on her side, curling up into a ball and closing her eyes. Her mind was in shambles, as were her emotions, but the exhaustion she'd been feeling for the last couple of days was strong enough that she was able to fall asleep despite the stress on her shoulders.

About an hour later, Rhiannon was still sleeping when Daryl finally made his way back to her. Rick had told him he was done for the day, that he should spend time with Rhiannon and make sure she was ok. Daryl didn't want to think about the sadness in Rick's voice as he mentioned her.

He didn't want to believe that others were worried just as he was. He didn't want it to be real.

His hard gaze softened the second he laid eyes on her. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well, he could feel her tossing and turning at night, and finally seeing her in a deep sleep brought him relief.

With a heavy sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her as she lay sleeping. He reached out slowly, gently pushing a strand of hair that covered her face.

"Please be ok." He whispered, pleading to something he didn't know.

A soft knock on the cell wall had his head snapping up. He saw Carol standing in the doorway, a sad smile on her face as her gaze moved to Rhiannon.

"She's finally asleep." Carol said with a relieved sigh.

"Yeah." Daryl mumbled quietly, careful not to disturb her.

"Here." Carol held out a bowl of food for him, having noticed that he'd disappeared to the cell as soon as the others had taken a break for dinner. "Is she doing any better?" Carol asked, her worried gaze locked onto Rhiannon's sleeping form.

"She threw up today." Daryl told her mournfully as he ate slowly.

Carol pursed her lips, her gaze averting down to her shoes. "She'll be fine. She hasn't slept or eaten properly in two days. She hasn't allowed herself to get better."

Daryl scoffed. "You ever hear of someone havin' heat stroke for three days?"

"No, but the world isn't exactly what it used to be, is it?"

He shrugged, that didn't exactly do much to lighten his nerves. "'M worried 'bout her."

"You always are. Doesn't mean she's gonna get this thing. She'll be fine." Carol told him, her voice stern with finality.

"Wish I could believe that." Daryl muttered.

Carol felt her eyes sting at the sad tone of his voice. It absolutely broke her heart to see him like this. She wished she could tell him what she knew, but even then, it wouldn't reassure him that she was ok, it would only serve to get him even more paranoid.

And not to mention, Rhiannon would kick her ass if she blabbed to Daryl.

She wished there was something she could do to protect the both of them, to make sure Rhiannon stayed healthy, that their baby stayed healthy. A very brief idea popped up in her mind and her stomach twisted at the cold hearted nature of herself she was slowly coming to terms with.

She had the potential to stop this in its tracks. It was a cold blooded, ruthless idea, but with another look at Rhiannon and with the knowledge of the life growing inside her, Carol knew she had no other options.

"She'll be fine." Carol said again, giving Daryl a look of authority he hadn't expected to see.

He watched her leave, completely oblivious to the undertones of Carol's words. He laid down next to Rhiannon, his arm moving to sling over her waist before he hesitated. His hand hovered over her body, unsure if he would disturb her.

She was finally sleeping, probably for the first time in two days, and he didn't want to ruin it. He moved as close to the edge of the bed as he could without falling off and turned on his side so he was facing her.

He stayed awake for hours, watching her, as if to make sure the rise and fall of her chest continued. He knew if she was sick, she'd be showing signs by now. She wasn't bleeding out of her eyes like Patrick had been, but that logic wouldn't stop him from worrying.

* * *

Rhiannon groaned, burying her face in her pillow and weakly swatting at the hand on her shoulder that was gently nudging her awake.

A low chuckle brought her out of sleep riddled daze and she turned her head, her eyes slowly fluttering open. She saw Daryl next to her, his eyes so full of relief as he watched her wake up.

"Mmm. What time is it?" She moaned, her voice thick with sleep.

"It's the next day. You slept over a good twelve hours."

Rhiannon's eyes widened and she propped herself up on her elbow, staring at him incredulously. "Seriously? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"You needed it." He shrugged.

She smiled softly and moved to lay back down when she saw that Daryl was making no move to leave her side. She reached out, her hand finding his, and intertwined their fingers. Her eyes roamed over his face and she began to frown deeply at the anguish and stress that covered his features.

"What's wrong?"

Daryl looked back at her, his brows raised as he shook his head, trying to feign innocence. Rhianon narrowed her eyes, letting him know she wasn't buying it.

"You have a look on your face. What happened?"

He simultaneously loved and hated that she could read him so well. He didn't want to tell her about the horrific scene Rick had called him to. He didn't want to tell her about who they lost, about how Tyreese, the usually gentle giant, had thrown him up against the fence and threatened him or beat the crap out of Rick.

"Daryl," She pushed when he hesitated.

He sighed deeply and slowly brought his gaze up to meet hers.

"We lost Karen and David." He broke the news bluntly, finding no other way to do it.

The crease in Rhiannon's brows disappeared as her face fell slack with pure shock. "They...the virus?" She asked lowly. Her heart was racing in her chest. She was astonished that they had gone so quickly. She'd just seen Karen yesterday.

"Nah, someone…" He stopped, biting his bottom lip nervously as he tried to figure out how to tell her. "They were killed. Burned to nothin'."

The fear inside her morphed into confusion. So it wasn't the virus, which was good news for her and everyone else who had been exposed, but to know two of their people had been murdered in cold blood was just as unsettling. And to know it was done by someone at the prison, that was too much to fathom.

"Do you know who did it?" She asked quietly and Daryl shook his head. Rhiannon's eyes turned dark, thinking about the poor people who'd been taken out so cold heartedly. "How's Ty?"

Daryl blew out a harsh breath, the look on his face giving her an answer to her question. "He was a mess, freaked out on us."

"Are you ok?" She asked abruptly. The thought of that hulking man coming after Daryl had her worried. Her eyes searched over his face and down his body, looking for any sign that he was hurt, but she was thankful to find none.

"I'm good. Rick got it worse. He got a little unhinged. It was like how he was after Lori, just went nuts, wouldn't listen."

Rhiannon's face was twisted with worry. She couldn't help but think back to what Carl had said to her yesterday, about things going back to the way they used to be. She hadn't believed it then, but now she wasn't so convinced.

"Oh god." She muttered, sounding helpless. "Everything's falling apart, isn't it?"

"No, I won't let it." Daryl told her determinedly, which was a pleasant surprise to her. "We've lost too much and I ain't gonna let it get worse."

Rhiannon had a feeling he wasn't just talking about the prison in general. She knew he was talking about her and her condition.

"Daryl, you know you can't control that."

She didn't want him to make this his responsibility. If things got worse, if _she_ got worse, she didn't want him to feel guilty for whatever may happen. But, honestly, it was a lost cause. Telling Daryl not to worry about her or try to help her was like telling the sky not to be blue. It was useless.

Daryl just shook his head, he refused to believe that he was powerless to stop what could happen, to let her be ok. He would be damned if he just sat idly by and let her get sick.

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say to the other. Things were so messed up, they had no words of comfort or reassurance. There was a voice in Rhiannon's head that reminded her that she finally had a spare moment with him, that it was her chance to tell him of her pregnancy, but something stopped her before she could.

Was this the huge moment of their lives, of telling Daryl they were going to be a parent, a pivotal moment in their relationship? Could she really tell him after just hearing about their friends who were murdered? Could she tell him knowing she might succumb just as Karen and David had, whether it be from the virus or the murderer who was picking off people before they became a threat to anyone?

It didn't feel right. She knew it was a lousy excuse, it was as if she didn't want to tell him, at least, that's what she thought her subconscious was telling her.

Thankfully, Daryl interrupted her mind's whirlwind of thoughts.

"I gotta go to a council meeting, figure out a way to get some meds. Just wanted to make sure you were ok first." He said quietly, regretfully.

Rhiannon tried her best to hide her frown and a dejected sigh she was sure to follow, and she settled for a stiff nod.

"Be careful, ok? Just keep your eye out." He told her. Knowing someone was roaming around, having just killed two of their own people, he couldn't help but fear they'd find their way to Rhiannon, no matter if she was sick or not.

Daryl gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, the only affection they'd allowed themselves in days. It was draining on them, but they couldn't settle for anything else.

Rhiannon watched him go and she flopped back onto the bed, her fist hitting the mattress below her angrily. She was so fed up with the last few days. She knew she'd made mistakes, that she should've come clean earlier. It was almost laughable now, how much time had passed while she still cowardly kept quiet. She couldn't help but feel mad at herself.

She reached over for the water bottle next to her, taking a long gulp. She whined, pulling the bottle away as a sharp pain stabbed at her throat. She sputtered and coughed, wincing at the pain as she rubbed her at neck.

 _Must've swallowed the wrong way._

That was her first thought, but when the pain didn't go away, her heart began to pound against her chest. It felt like she'd swallowed a thumbtack. She winced with each piercing, sharp cough that rattled her lungs, groaning in pain as it finally subsided, leaving her throat feeling course.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and she exhaled shakily. She thought she'd felt warm because Daryl was laying next to her. He always exuded body heat like a furnace, but now that he was gone and she was still sweating profusely, she knew it was something else.

Her eyes watered as realization dawned on her. This was the start of it, she knew it. Her head lay in her hands as she breathed unsteadily, soft cries leaving her as she tried to come to terms with what this meant for her, for her baby.

They both were practically dead already.

Rhiannon gasped out a sob at the thought. The crying made her headache worse and she laid back down in bed, finding that even sitting up was tiring.

Her mind raced with horribly gruesome thoughts of Daryl finding her in their cell, blood trailing down her eyes and chin, her eyes bulging and lifeless as Patrick's had been. She felt a shiver run down her spine. She was so uncomfortable, she wanted to pull her skin off just to escape her own body.

She didn't know how long she'd stayed in that same position, tears running down her cheeks as she dreaded what came next. The thought of Daryl, of her father and sister having to witness her wither away to a bloody mess had dread bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

She'd seen some rough times during the end of the world, but she didn't think anything would be as bad as this feeling. Death was imminent, and she didn't know how to process it, especially knowing it wasn't just her that had limited time.

Her hand brushed against her belly and she squeezed her eyes shut in despair.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, frowning deeply at the realization that she would most likely never get to meet the little one growing inside her.

"Rhiannon, you up?" She heard a voice at the doorway of her cell. It was Rick.

Rhiannon startled, sitting up slowly with a low groan of pain.

"Sasha and Glenn are sick, they're being put in quarantine. I just wanted to make sure you're ok." He continued and slowly pulled back the curtain, peeking his head in.

His eyes widened when he saw her and his next words got caught in his throat. His face fell into a look of absolute devastation and she knew he was aware of what was happening to her.

"Oh god." He breathed out and rushed towards her, kneeling in front of her. He placed his hand on her forehead and had to bite back a curse at the feel of her overheated skin.

"Glenn and Sasha?" She asked weakly.

"They're ok for now. Was looking right about how you look."

"That great, huh?"

Rick didn't even crack a smile, his expression stayed troubled and worried. "How do you feel?" He asked, though he knew the question was worthless, he just had to hear it from her.

"Feels like I got stabbed in the throat and then the forehead...and then run over by a truck."

Rick frowned deeply, his hand moving to hold hers tightly. "You're gonna be ok. Daryl's prepping a run, they're gonna get the medicine and you're gonna be just fine. Everyone is."

"Rick," She moaned tiredly, shaking her head. "Your optimism is annoying."

"It's not optimism, it's the truth."

Rhiannon stayed quiet, she didn't know how to respond. She wanted to believe that this wouldn't be her last day, but based on what they knew about the virus, she was sincerely doubtful and it was hard to have any hope.

"Where is he?" She asked quietly.

"He's getting ready to leave soon."

Rhiannon nodded, her face crumbling as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She sniffled, her eyes squeezing shut, looking pained at the dark places her mind was going.

"How do I tell him-" A loud sob tore through her, interrupting her sentence. "That it might be...too late?"

Rick felt his own eyes stinging with tears as he watched Rhiannon face her own mortality in the most heartbreaking way. He reached up, cupping her face in his hands.

"Listen to me. You're gonna be ok, you're gonna get through this. God help me, you're gonna be fine. We're not losin' you or anyone else." He told her, his strong willed tone catching her by surprise.

"Rick-"

"No. You're not dying. It's that simple."

Rhiannon didn't bother trying to argue, there was no use. And she was beginning to feel lightheaded, she was way too exhausted to be having this conversation.

"C'mon, we gotta get you to quarantine."

She nodded, trying not to think about how cell block A may be her final stop.

Rick grabbed onto her hands, helping her stand. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her out of the cell block slowly. They didn't speak as they walked, there wasn't exactly much to say in a situation like that.

Carol was standing at the doorway, screening those that were coming into the quarantined area, adjusting the bandana around her face. She doubted it would be enough to protect her, but she didn't really have another option.

She had to do something to get her mind off of this morning, when the bodies were discovered. She couldn't admit that it had been her, not with Tyreese there in his state.

The memory weighed heavily in her mind and she tried hard not to think about the guilt that was festering within her.

She was about to close the door, seeing no one else in line, waiting to get in, when she saw Rick coming down the hall and when she realized it was Rhiannon who was being held up by him, and she saw the state the young woman was in, she immediately felt tears welling in her eyes.

"Rhi-" She started, but stopped when she realized her voice wasn't going to hold up.

"You need to get Daryl." Rick told her sternly.

Carol nodded wordlessly, her sad eyes still locked onto Rhiannon. She swallowed thickly and longed to reach out to the woman as she passed, but she knew she couldn't. With a heavy sigh, she began to jog through the halls of the prison. She was dreading what came next, she didn't want to be the one to tell Daryl.

She didn't want to be the one to break the man's heart.

Her eyes were red rimmed and she avoided the prying eyes of the few lucky ones that hadn't been subjected to the virus.

She walked swiftly, trying not to think about how her murderous plan had failed miserably.

Her pace faltered when she finally saw Daryl under the hood of a car. He looked up when he heard her footsteps.

"Hey, can you get me that gas can over there?"

Carol nodded, glad that she had kept her expression as neutral as possible so he wasn't immediately suspicious. He hadn't even looked at her as he grabbed the can from her and began to fill up the tank.

"You coming with us?" Michonne asked, slightly surprised by her presence. Carol wasn't one to normally go on runs.

Carol shook her head wordlessly and Michonne narrowed her eyes, looking at the woman curiously, noticing her tense demeanor.

At the back of the car, Merle slammed the trunk shut and moved to lean up against the side.

"We got everythin' packed up, we're good to go."

Daryl nodded, wiping his hands on the rag from his back pocket. "Alright, just give me a few minutes. I wanna check on Rhiannon before we leave."

Carol squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw clenching. She didn't know if she could do this to him.

"Daryl…"

He stopped, looking at the older woman blankly. The tone of her voice had his hackles raising. His heart dropped to his stomach and pounded harshly against his chest, almost painfully. The devastation on Carol's face had fear seeping through his veins.

He hated that he knew exactly what had happened.

"Don't." He rasped, shaking his head as he looked down at his shoes, trying to hide the emotion that played so clearly on his features.

"Dar-"

"No." He snapped, looking up at her with a vicious expression. "Don't fuckin' say it."

Carol face turned down and her bottom lip began to quiver. She couldn't hold her emotions back for much longer. "I'm so sorry." She breathed out weakly.

Daryl's chest heaved as he breathed deeply, feeling himself beginning to panic. He could feel himself trembling, barely able to contain his anguish. He ran a hand through his hair and sniffled, squeezing his eyes shut, he hated that he couldn't keep it together, but at this point, it was useless to pretend he wasn't devastated.

"W-what's going on?" Michonne asked quietly, looking at Carol worriedly. Her eyes shifted over to Daryl, but quickly moved back to Carol. The expression on Daryl's face was too hard to look at, she couldn't stand it.

"Rhiannon's going into quarantine."

Michonne's lips parted in surprise and her face dropped in sadness. She knew Rhiannon hadn't been feeling well that past couple of days, but she had no idea it had gotten _this_ bad.

She reached out to Daryl, wanting to try anything to get that look off his face."Daryl, I'm so sor-"

He pushed her off and without another look at the others, he stomped off, jogging back into the prison.

Carol sniffled, wiping the wetness under her eyes.

"Is she ok?" Michonne asked, her voice constrained with worry. She didn't want to think about what could happen, it was too hard.

"She's… it's bad." Carol said quietly. She couldn't even pretend that things were ok. "She's in there with Sasha and Glenn."

Michonne's face tightened and she clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to show how much the news affected her. She looked over at Merle and for the first time, she was feeling bad for Merle Dixon.

The man stared down at the ground intently, his eyes darkened and hollow, clearly disturbed by the news. Despite how much he'd try to deny it, Michonne knew he was lightening up with those at the prison, especially Rhiannon. The two of them had developed a bond, they had become friends.

"We gotta go." He said tersely, though the women could hear the determination in his voice.

Michonne nodded, her face hardening. "We'll find what we're looking for. We're not gonna lose anyone. Just... tell them to hold on." She told Carol, her strong demeanor faltering slightly and Carol could see just how broken up she was.

Carol nodded. "Good luck out there."

* * *

Daryl panted harshly as he ran through the halls of the prison, his vision blurring until he couldn't see clearly at all. The more he thought about Rhiannon, the more panicked he felt. He couldn't lose her, he couldn't imagine what would happen if he did, if he had to sleep in that cell alone, if he had to go throughout his day without seeing her, without hearing her voice.

 _Fuck, don't think about that,_ he chastised himself, though a tear was able to slip out at the thought before he could stop it.

If he had to go through this shit alone, without her by his side, he wouldn't survive. He couldn't.

He made it to cell block A and pulled at the door, but when it didn't open, he cursed loudly and rattled the handle wildly, looking unhinged at the desperation of his actions. His breath got shorter as he lost control of the very lose grip on his sanity. His fist pounded against the door, enraged at the thought of not being able to see her.

Finally, someone came to his rescue. It was Dr. S and he looked just as bad as the patients locked in there with him. He was sick too. Daryl didn't even have time to think of the irony of the situation.

"You can't come in here."

"Open the fuckin' door, or this virus ain't gonna be your biggest problem." He threatened darkly, scowling at the man viciously.

"Daryl-"

"Just let me in!" He yelled, cutting the man off. "I need to see her." His voice was quieter now, sounding more weak as his resolve broke.

Dr.S frowned, looking a little surprised at Daryl's honest reaction. He'd never seen the hunter so broken up before, and he knew he couldn't turn him away.

With a heavy sigh, he unlocked the door and opened it a crack. Daryl did the rest of the work, pushing the door open and running past him. His head swiveled every which way as he tried to find who he was looking for.

His feet stopped in their tracks and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her. She sat on the edge of the cot, her head between her knees as she breathed deeply. The rattle of each of her breaths sounded painful and laborious and he winced, feeling tears sting his eyes again.

"Rhi?"

She looked up, startled by his presence and her eyes widened when she saw him.

"What the hell are you doing? You can't be in here." She cried, backing up against the wall as he stepped towards her. "Daryl stop, you can't get sick.

"How did- when-" He stammered, his voice cutting off and he wiped at his cheeks furiously. He stomped forward, ignoring her weak protests, and wrapped her up in his arms.

Rhiannon sighed in defeat, she knew she couldn't keep him at bay. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling him trembling against her.

"I'm ok." She whispered, though the words sounded hollow, practically meaningless.

"I know." He replied, ignoring the way his mind screamed at him that he was going to lose her. "I'm gonna get the meds and you're gonna be just fine."

Rhiannon didn't want to argue with him, but a part of her hated that he had so much hope. She couldn't help but worry that he was going to be let down. She leaned in closer to him, finding comfort in the feeling of his strong body against hers.

"Be careful out there." She whispered.

"I will."

He pulled away slowly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. The sight of her pale face and tired eyes had his chest aching even more, he worried his heart would stop and he would drop dead then and there.

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. "I'll be back soon and you're gonna be just fine." He whispered and Rhiannon's face crumpled as she began to cry again.

Hearing the soft sobs leaving her throat had him holding her tighter, his own face creasing as he tried hard not to break down.

"God damnit, you better be ok." He mumbled, his voice cracking as he spoke. Rhiannon breathed shakily, she'd never heard him sound like that before, and she wondered if that hurt more than the damn virus.

"I love you." She whispered, looking up at him through her wet lashes.

Daryl's jaw clenched and he shook his head.

"Don't say that shit to me."

"Daryl-"

"No." He snapped, the sharp tone of his voice bordering on defeat. "Tell me when I get back. You'll be feeling better and I'm gonna tell you how much I love you with every fuckin' part of me."

He leaned forward, moving to press his lips to hers, but she turned her head, giving him a warning look. It was too dangerous and he was already risking his life by being in the cell block.

"You can't, you'll get sick." She mumbled.

Daryl could hear how dejected she sounded and his hand moved to cradle her cheek. "I don't give a shit."

He leaned forward, kissing her gently and slowly. His eyes squeezed shut, in relief and despair, feeling both healed and hurt at her touch. He pulled away, his body aching at the separation.

"I'll see you soon."

Rhiannon nodded, again, staying quiet as she realized she couldn't be the one to burst his bubble and make him see reality.

Daryl reluctantly stood and moved away from her side. He walked slowly out of her cell, turning on his heel to steal one last glance at her before finally bucking up the courage to let her out of his sight.

He hoped that wouldn't be his last memory of her.

* * *

 **Please don't hate me! I know it's frustrating that he still doesn't know about the pregnancy, but the hopefully the payoff will be worth it!**

 **Hope you all liked this chapter and sorry it took me a little longer to finish. I didn't want to just add Rhiannon into scenes from the show and copy the dialog, so hopefully you enjoy my take on it.**

 **Shit is getting intense! Hope you're ready xx**


	63. Chapter 63

Beth bounced baby Judith on her knee, shushing her calmly as she cried. It was as if the baby knew the turmoil happening at the prison. She hadn't stopped crying since they'd been sectioned off from those that were exposed to the virus.

A knock at the warden's door startled her and she instinctively cradled Judith closer to her.

"Beth, you there?"

It was Maggie, checking up on her for the fifth time that day.

Beth sighed in relief and hoisted Judith up in her arms, balancing on her hip as she moved to stand next to the door.

"I'm here. Are you ok?"

She could hear Maggie sniffle and she frowned, her worried gaze moving to the plated glass window, where she could only make out her sister's faint figure. She wished she could just open the door and throw her arms around her.

"Glenn has it. He went into quarantine an hour ago."

Beth sighed heavily, her eyes falling closed as she forced herself not to get too emotional. She leaned in closer to Judith, finding comfort in the baby's presence.

"He'll be ok. Daryl went to get meds. We can't let ourselves get caught up in asking 'what if', we all have jobs to do."

On the other side of the door, Maggie placed her hand over her mouth, trying not to sob out loud. Any other time, she would applaud Beth's courage, but she couldn't now, not when the people she loved were weak and withering away before her eyes.

What she saw in cell block A made her chest ache. It was terrifying to see the people she loved so vulnerable.

"Beth," She called out weakly, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't know how to tell her, but she knew she had to.

"What is it?"

Maggie paused, wiping under her eyes as she breathed heavily, forcing herself to relax. "Rhiannon has it, too." She breathed out, feeling pained at just saying the words out loud.

There was a long pause from the other side of the door and Maggie could see the shadowed figure of Beth's still form.

"Beth?" She called out, worried about how her baby sister was going to react.

Beth swallowed thickly, her vision blurring as tears clouded her eyes. "We'll get through this." She choked out, pursing her lips when she realized how weak her voice sounded. "We have to."

Maggie nodded, though she didn't want to think too hard about how much she believed the words. She knew Beth was trying to deflect what she was really feeling. It was daunting to think about the possibility of their family being torn apart. Losing Rhiannon was something they would never recover from and they couldn't allow themselves to think about the harsh reality that was facing them.

"Stay safe, ok?"

"You too." Beth practically whispered, wiping away a stray tear that fell.

Both Greene sisters knew it was unhealthy not to talk about what was bothering them, but it hurt too much. It was like their father always said, they had jobs to do and they couldn't let anything get in the way of it, no matter how damaging it may be to ignore what they were faced with.

Maggie took a step forward, her legs feeling weak and heavy, as if they were refusing her to leave. She stopped and turned back to the door, seeing Beth's shadow, knowing she hadn't moved from her spot.

"Beth?" Maggie paused, worrying her lip between her teeth. "She's gonna be fine. We're not gonna lose her." She said determinedly.

Beth nodded, though she knew Maggie was unable to see. "I know." She said weakly, sounding unconvinced, but Maggie wasn't strong enough to mention it.

 _She'll be ok_ , Maggie told herself again as she finally allowed herself to leave the solace of Beth's company.

* * *

Rhiannon winced as she swallowed, another sharp pain piercing her throat. Daryl had left an hour ago and while her condition hadn't gotten any worse, she was still in pain.

She rested her head against the cool concrete wall behind her, sighing at the slight relief it gave her. Her head was pounding and she was feeling dizzier by the minute. _Please get back soon,_ she pleaded to herself, wishing she could see Daryl walking back through the door.

She hated that he still didn't know the huge secret she was hiding. It felt wrong knowing he wasn't apart of this journey yet, especially since it could be over soon.

The thought had tears springing to her eyes, yet again, and she placed her hand over her stomach that was still flat, concealing any evidence of her dark secret.

The sound of harsh coughing had her raising her head, her eyes widening when she saw Glenn standing in her doorway.

"Hey, you doing ok?" She asked once his coughing fit had subsided. He nodded and slowly walked into her cell, practically falling onto the bunk next to her, his weak body barely holding him up.

"You know, when I said we were partners in crime, this really isn't what I had in mind." Glenn groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead that felt like it was throbbing.

"Yeah, me either." Rhiannon muttered, wiping the sweat from her brow.

The two of them were left in silence for a few moments, neither having much to say. It was hard to think of topics of conversation when they were literally staring death in the face.

Glenn suddenly sighed loudly, his chin falling to his chest. "This isn't how I thought it would end." He spoke solemnly.

Rhiannon's face creased and she shook her head.

"Don't talk like that."

"But it's true. I mean, how much time do you think we have left?"

"I don't know, but it's useless to speculate. Daryl's out there doing everything he can to help us. He's never let us down, right?" Rhiannon argued, her voice rising in pitch as she tried hard not to let her panic show, but she was sure she was failing.

"I just-"

"Let's not do this, ok?" She interrupted, her tone sharper than she intended.

"I'm sorry." Glenn whispered, his hand reaching out to grab hers, the only comfort the both of them had been allowed all day.

Rhiannon so desperately wanted to blurt out the words that were running through her head but it didn't feel right to tell Glenn she was pregnant before telling Daryl. So, as she had been for the last two days, she stayed silent, wallowing in her fear and worry alone.

"We'll get through this." She mumbled weakly. _We have to. All three of us,_ she thought to herself.

Glenn nodded, he was about to open his mouth to ask her how she was doing when another coughing fit took ahold of him. He hunched over, his face screwed tight in agony with each heaving breath.

Rhiannon frowned deeply, her arm moving over his shoulders as she rubbed his back soothingly as he fought to catch his breath.

"You ok?"

He nodded weakly, keeping his head down. Rhiannon pulled him into her, wrapping him in a weak hug.

"Just hold on." She whispered, her voice breaking. Glenn nodded again, though he kept quiet, not feeling strong enough to actually answer.

* * *

Merle glanced over at his little brother for the thousandth time in the last five minutes. Daryl refused to look at him or anyone else in the car for that matter. His knuckles were white as he gripped onto the steering wheel tightly, his lead foot on the gas pedal making all the others in the car grip onto the seats below them tightly.

"Hey, you wanna ease up?" Merle finally spoke up.

"You wanna keep your mouth shut?" Daryl countered immediately, his tone sharp and venomous.

Merle sighed and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I know you're worried but you ain't no good to her dead. She needs those meds and if we don't get them 'cause your stupid ass crashes this car, she's doomed."

Daryl contemplated his words, so close to spitting out more hatred on instinct, before he finally realized that Merle was right. The car slowed to a relatively normal speed and those in the backseat sighed in relief.

"Daryl, she's a strong woman. She'll be ok." Michonne spoke up, leaning forward in her seat slightly. She was reluctant to reach out and try to ease his mind, knowing how volatile he was when he got worried, especially when it came to Rhiannon, but she knew he was going crazy and that she had to at least try to help.

Daryl didn't respond. He knew it was stupid to have blind hope, that never ended well, but there was a part of him that refused to think of the alternative. It hurt too much to even fathom how wrong things could go.

His mind was in shambles. He pictured her weak frame and dull eyes, the sight of her in death row haunted him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't erase the sight from his mind and worry clutched at his heart, squeezing until he was breathless and his chest was aching.

"Just don't what I'd do if-" He stopped the sentence abruptly, not able to say the words out loud.

"Well thank god you ain't gonna have to find out." Merle said quietly, making Daryl look over at him in surprise.

It wasn't like Merle to be so supportive or optimistic, or even give a shit that someone they knew was in peril, but he knew he had some making up to do. After their long history of abuse and a generally shitty brotherhood, Merle felt like he finally had the chance to be a good big brother, the one Daryl deserved.

If he could give his little brother any sort of peace while praying that the woman he loved, the little spitfire that saved _his_ life, he damn well would do his best to make it happen.

Daryl was taken aback the genuine look of support on his brother's face. If he wasn't so bent out of shape about the state of his girl and his friends, he would be almost freaked out by it.

"How much longer?" He asked, wanting desperately to end this conversation. Dwelling on his fears wasn't doing him any good.

"A few hours." Bob answered.

Daryl nodded and pressed his foot harder on the gas, desperately needing to go faster, though it still wasn't as fast as he'd been earlier, to the relief of everyone else in the car.

Daryl's fingers tapped against the wheel incessantly. Something was missing and he didn't know what it was. He felt so antsy, he didn't know what to do. He thought of all the times he'd gone on drives with Rhiannon.

Her feet would be propped up on the dash despite the look she'd earn from Daryl. His hand would move to her thigh, smiling at her as she sang along to the music that played.

Music. That was it.

Rhiannon always told him it wasn't a real drive if they didn't have music to blast.

"Hey, you see any CD's layin' around?" He asked, motioning for Merle to check the glove compartment.

As Daryl fiddled with the knobs on the dash while Merle rifled through the CD's, a sudden voice rang out through the static, startling everyone in the car.

"Was that a voice?"

"What the hell did they say?"

Daryl's blood ran cold again, suddenly right back on edge. He turned the volume up and shared a nervous look with Merle.

" _-erminus", "arrive -live"_

* * *

Rhiannon lay on her back, staring at the ceiling above her. Glenn had gone back to his cell to try and get some sleep and since he'd left she'd been unable to relax, despite the exhaustion that gripped her tightly.

A soft knock had her head rising, immediately making her dizzy and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Take it easy." Hershel spoke softly, rushing towards her. He sat next to her, his hand moving to brush through her hair, pushing back the damp strands from her sweaty face.

Rhiannon groaned and rolled over on her side, her stomach turning at the movement.

"Brought you something."

She opened her eyes and a small smile graced her pale features as her father held up her ipod. The sight of her face lighting up, in the smallest possible way, had Hershel smiling with her, looking down at her fondly.

"Knew that'd put a smile on your face." He said with a light laugh.

"Thank you." She spoke weakly, her voice raspy, as she took the device that held so much meaning to her and practically cradled it to her chest.

Hershel watched her with a soft smile at the brief look of contentment he was able to bring her, but it quickly fell as another wave of nausea washed over her and her face twisted with agony, her knees moving up to her chest as she curled into herself.

"Here." He handed her the cup he'd brought in with him, the elderberry tea he'd been dosing out like it was candy.

Rhiannon took it was unsteady hands, putting it to her lips slowly. Her face twisted at the taste and she pulled away quickly, the motions making her feel dizzy.

"What did I do to deserve that?" She asked with a groan.

Hershel laughed lightly, shaking his head. How his daughter still managed to be sarcastic at a time like this was beyond him.

"Stop being such a drama queen and drink the rest." He ordered softly.

Rhiannon groaned but did as she was told, making another disgusted face.

"Where did you learn to make this, hell?"

"You're mother taught me."

That sobered up Rhiannon quickly. Her face fell and she looked up at her father slowly, her eyes sad as she thought about the woman she'd lost so long ago. They didn't talk about her often, it hurt too much for the both of them.

"Whenever you got sick she always gave you some concoction she'd found in that old book she had. The one with the buckles on it."

"I remember." Rhiannon whispered, the lightest of smiles on her face.

"You said it made her look like a witch." Hershel reminisced with a laugh. "She would always put vanilla in yours because you could never stand the taste of any of the teas she made for you."

A sad look overcame her features at the thought of her mother and she pursed her lips together. This really wasn't what she needed right now. While it was good to talk about her mother, the person she missed the most, talking about her now, when she was knocking on death's door, pregnant with a child whose father was still unaware, it just made her feel worse.

"I'm glad she's not here to see this." Rhiannon whispered and the look on Hershel's face was as if she had physically struck him.

He swallowed thickly and shook his head. "It won't do you any good to think like that."

Rhiannon just kept her head down. It was a stark contrast to how she'd been earlier when Glenn was the gloomy one and she told him to have hope. She didn't know what had changed since then but she now found it hard to think any other way.

"You'll be ok." He told her, trying not dwell on the reality of the statement. He had no control over how she felt or how this would end, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do everything he could to keep her comfortable and at least try to give her some hope.

He placed a hand on her forehead, having to hold back a wince at the feel of her heated skin. It broke his heart to see her like this. It hurt even more to look at the people around her that were fading fast, knowing she could very well be the next one he'd have to put down.

With a shaking breath, he forced the thoughts from his mind. He'd worry himself into the grave if he kept thinking such horrible thoughts. He slowly untangled the headphones for her, hating that she was even too weak to do that simple act.

Rhiannon smiled up at him lazily, her heart bursting as her father helped her put her headphones in and pressed play. She fought back the tears that welled in her eyes. She didn't think she could feel so cared for, not during this horrible day when she was so wrecked with worry, but her father had a way of surprising her.

"Get some rest, baby girl." He whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back to check on you soon."

Rhiannon nodded and though she was reluctant to let him leave, she knew he was needed elsewhere. There were others that were much worse off than she was and despite the fact that she wanted to be selfish and keep her father to herself for her own comfort, she knew she couldn't.

"Be careful." She called out to him as he walked out of her cell, coughing and wincing at the pain her throat talking had brought.

"I will." He promised her, his voice thick with emotion. He turned on his heel slowly, having to force himself to let her out of his sights after hearing her raspy and sick voice.

Rhiannon frowned and buried herself deeper into the uncomfortable bunk she lay on. She grabbed the pillow under her head and let her eyes fall closed, letting the soothing sound of her music lull her to sleep despite how much her entire body was hurting.

She was miraculously able to fall asleep, though it was fitful, the sounds of the others that were sick waking her multiple times. She had tossed and turned for most of the time, her body aching with each movement.

After a few hours of intermittent sleep and being woken up once again by a hacking cough from a few cells down, she sighed in annoyance, giving up on trying to get any peaceful sleep.

She placed a hand over her stomach to try an find whatever comfort it could bring her despite knowing it was way too early in her pregnancy to feel a bump or any sign of life. She felt a wave of emotion hit her, one that had become quite common over the last few days. She hated not knowing if her little one was safe, if it had any chance at all.

She didn't even know if _she_ had a chance.

It was getting harder and harder to not lose hope.

She sat up slowly, feeling the room spin around her as she did. A wave of nausea hit her, stronger than the last time and with barely a second to spare, she grabbed the bin that lay next to the bed and emptied her already empty stomach.

She groaned in pain, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She soon heard hurried footsteps approaching her cell. Her father rushed inside, his face falling at the state of her.

She was willing to bet she looked closer to death than she felt.

Hershel sat next to her, brushing the sweat soaked strands of hair away from her face. "You alright?"

Rhiannon nodded wordlessly, the nervous pit in her stomach beginning to grow.

"No one else is throwing up." Hershel spoke aloud, his worried eyes piercing into hers.

Rhiannon could tell he was confused and more than a little nervous. Her mind screamed with the words she wanted so desperately to let out. Only three people knew and it was killing her to keep it inside, especially from her father.

"Rhiannon?" Hershel urged, sensing her growing discomfort that wasn't from the virus.

Her face twisted as tears formed in her eyes. She leaned forward, her head falling into her hands as her body shook with soft cries. Hershel's eyes widened and he moved closer to her, wrapping his arm over her shoulders as he pulled her into his side, hugging her tightly.

"What's goin' on?" He asked softly, practically pleading with her.

Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut and her lips quivered as she fought hard to stop crying.

"Dad, I'm pregnant."

Hershel worried that his heart had actually stopped beating. His eyes grew almost comically wide and he stared at her blankly, his brain not working fast enough for him to process what she had told him.

"Really?" He asked, his voice no more than a whisper. Rhiannon nodded, her worried gaze locked onto the floor, refusing to meet his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was happy or not.

Hope blossomed within him before it was quickly replaced with a worry so vile it left him breathless. She shouldn't be here, not with so many people who were so far past the breaking point, they were ticking time bombs at this point.

His face softened and he hugged his daughter tightly.

"I can't believe it." He exclaimed, his voice thick as he tried to keep a hold of his already high strung emotions.

"Are you… I mean you think this…-" Rhiannon stammered. She didn't know how to express just how terrified she was.

"I'm going to be a grandpa."

The happiness she heard in her father's voice made her heart jump wildly. Her tears fell freely now, realizing how excited her father was. She tightened her grip on him, practically melting into his embrace.

"I'm so scared." She breathed out, her voice cracking with her admission.

Hershel's face twisted as he felt his own eyes sting with unshed tears. The fear in his daughter's voice struck a chord with him, so devastating, it left him feeling as though there were a hole in his chest.

"Does Daryl know?"

Rhiannon scoffed bitterly. "You really think he'd be out there if he knew?" She mumbled darkly. "I tried to, but… all this happened and I panicked. Didn't know what to do."

Hershel stayed quiet, taking in her words carefully.

"What if I lose this baby?"

"Don't think about that." He immediately told her scoldingly.

"How can I not think about that? I'm sick, stuck in here with people that are dropping like flies. It's only a matter of time before I'm next, before my body shuts down and this baby fades away, just like me."

"Stop."

Rhiannon shook her head, more tears falling from her eyes as she pushed her father away.

"Rhiannon, stop." Her father ordered sternly, though there was still a softness to his voice that came with his fear and worry.

"This baby is doomed. We both are."

"I won't let that happen."

"You can't control that." Rhiannon spoke sadly. He was too much like Daryl in that way, shouldering responsibility he didn't need to.

"Listen to me." Hershel spoke strongly, taking her clammy hands in his. "I am going to do everything I can to keep you safe, baby girl. It's my job to. You're gonna be just fine and my grandbaby is gonna be just fine."

Rhiannon looked up at her father, her eyes heavy with emotion. She couldn't ignore that spark of hope that ignited within her. Her father had a way of doing that.

"My grandbaby, my god, that sounds good." He smiled widely, his eyes shining with tears, ones that came from happiness, something that was a rarity nowadays. "You'll be an amazing mother.

Rhiannon smiled, letting out a light laugh. "Thank you." She whispered, thankful that he'd successfully talked down off the proverbial ledge she'd been standing on for days.

The sound of loud, breathless coughing broke the moment between them. Rhiannon winced at the sound, it certainly sounded like it hurt. Hershel immediately stood from his spot, his hands falling from Rhiannon's as he moved to see who was suffering.

Rhiannon followed behind him slowly, her weak body not allowing her to move any faster.

It was Harry, a man they'd found a town over just a few months ago. He fell to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth as his convulsing body stilled and went limp, his coughing ceasing.

She stood in the doorway of her cell, her face hardened as she watched her father kneel down beside the man, checking his pulse, which they both knew was more of a formality rather than an actual sign of hope.

"Dad,"

"Go back to your cells." He called out to the others in the cell block that were watching the display, disregarding her voice.

Rhiannon took a step forward to help her father but he held his hand up, his eyes blazing with a fierce protectiveness.

"Don't come any closer. Go back to your cell." He ordered, the fear in his voice evident.

"We can help." Sasha called out weakly from behind him, lethargically pulling out a gurney to take the body away.

"No, the both of you need to rest. I don't want you near him." He spoke strongly, addressing the last sentence to Rhiannon with a pointed look at her stomach.

"Dad, you look exhausted. You need to take a break. Just let us help, please." Rhiannon pleaded with him, taking a small step forward.

"We can do it." Sasha assured him, moving unsteadily to stand next to Rhiannon.

Hershel hung his head with a heavy sigh and nodded slowly. "Get him on the gurney."

With an effort that the two women wouldn't normally need, they both heaved up one of his legs while Hershel lifted his upper body to place the poor man on the gurney.

Sasha immediately closed her eyes, her hand pressing against the sharp pain in her temple as she fell back against the wall behind her.

"Get some rest." Hershel ordered with finality.

"I'll get her to her cell." Rhiannon told him, giving him an assuring nod. Sure, Rhiannon was weak and feeble, but she wasn't nearly as bad as Sasha.

Hershel hesitated, giving Rhiannon one last long, meaningful look before pulling the gurney away. It hurt him to leave her side, if only for a few minutes. After learning about her pregnancy his worry had increased tenfold and he was going to uphold him promise to keep her and her baby safe, even if it killed him.

Rhiannon watched her father go with a heavy heart. She knew he was pushing himself too far, but she also knew anything she said wouldn't stop him. They were alike in that way, both too stubborn for their own good.

"Come on." She said, wrapping her arm around Sasha's waist to steady her as they walked feebly to her cell across the room.

With a groan, Rhiannon helped lay Sasha on her bunk, both of their bodies aching with the movement.

"You ok?" Rhiannon asked worriedly, the sound of Sasha's pained whines and heavy breaths putting her on edge.

"As good as I can be looking like this."

"You still look hot as hell to me."

That got Sasha to crack a smile and wheeze out a painful laugh that quickly turned into a cough. Rhiannon frowned and helped her lay back down, reaching over for the cup of tea that lay beside the bed.

"Finish this."

"That tastes like ass." Sasha groaned, turning her nose up at the cup, but reluctantly took it in her hands.

"I know it does but it'll be good for you."

"You Greene's are so stubborn."

Rhiannon snorted. "Where the hell did you think I got it from?"

Sasha smiled and laid her head back against the lumpy pillow below her. Her pale face suddenly went blank, her smile falling as a haunted expression took over her face.

"How long has it been?" She croaked out, her voice sounding hollow.

"I don't know."

"It's been too long."

Rhiannon bit her lip nervously. She didn't want to think about Daryl being out there, going so far without her. It was killing her knowing he was putting his life on the line for her, especially without her out there with him to watch his back.

"Get some sleep." Rhiannon said quietly, squeezing Sasha's hand comfortingly before getting up slowly and making her way out of her cell. She kept her chin high and her steps slow as if putting on a false performance to make it seem like she wasn't really as bad as she felt.

Rhiannon practically fell onto her bed, for once enjoying the feeling of it beneath her. She rolled onto her back, her hands once again moving to rest against her abdomen. She felt like a weight had been lifted, albeit, a small one, but a weight nonetheless, knowing she didn't have to keep a secret from her father anymore.

She had kept so many from him almost her whole life and she hated that she had now, even if it had only been a few days. While she was happy he finally knew, she couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty that yet another person knew before Daryl knew.

 _Please come back to me soon,_ she pleaded silently.

She could picture his steely blue eyes and the defeated look on his face when he had seen the state she was in. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms, to hear his gravelly voice tell her everything was going to be ok, to feel his hands brush through her hair.

God, she needed him more than anything right now. She and her baby needed him.

* * *

With shaking hands, Daryl lit his cigarette, feeling adrenaline and anger coursing through him like fire. The sight of the backpack in front of him filled with medicine did little to comfort him.

It had been a close call, too close for comfort. And Bob, he wanted to hurl the guy off the roof when he saw the bottle of booze in his bag. He thought of Rhiannon in that moment, the precious seconds they wasted trying to save Bob and his stupid fucking crutch. If he ended up being too late to save her, he knew who he was taking his fury out on first.

"You want me to drive?" Merle asked lowly to Michonne, stealing another weary glance to his little brother who was already sat in the passenger seat of the van they'd managed to find after losing their first one.

"You have one hand, I think we'd all prefer if I drove."

"You sure you wanna be upfront with the grizzly bear?"

Michonne sent Merle a glare and shook her head. "He's worried. Can you really blame him for getting so angry? I'm surprised you pulled him away from Bob."

"Hey, I'm pissed at that son of a bitch, too, but someone's gotta be the level headed one here."

Michonne placed a hand over her mouth, a laugh threatening to leave her. " _You_...be the level headed one? Jesus christ, this day is getting so fucked up."

Merle looked at her plainly and rolled his eyes. "We goin' or what?"

"Soon, just gotta find the right route." She said, not taking her eyes off the map in front of her.

Merle nodded, glad that he still had a few minutes, and made his way over to Daryl.

His little brother didn't acknowledge him as he came up beside him, leaning against the open passenger side door.

"You got an extra one?" He asked motioning for a cigarette.

With barely a grunt, Daryl fished into his pocket and pulled out one of the last ones he had, handing it to Merle without looking up at him.

"How you holdin' up?"

That certainly got Daryl to look up and he gave his usually antagonistic, or at least apathetic, brother a look of disdain and surprise.

Merle scrunched his nose up at the look on Daryl's face and shook his head.

"Yeah, that don't sound right."

Daryl scoffed and looked back down at his shoes, him mind beginning to wander off once again.

Merle shifted on his feet awkwardly. This was never his forte, he was never the caring type, even with his own brother, but it was agonizing to see Daryl as he was.

"She's gon' be ok." He blurted out, making Daryl stiffen in his seat.

"You don't know that."

"No, but I know your girl is the most stubborn, hard headed person I ever met. You really think a cold is gonna be what takes her out? You really got that little faith?"

Daryl scoffed. "Faith? You really think I ever had that shit?"

"Didn't you? You found her in the first place, you two've been together sickenly for over a year. You really ain't havin' any faith since then?"

Daryl fought the urge to roll his eyes. His brother couldn't just give out advice, he had to throw in a backhanded comment. He honestly shouldn't have been that surprised.

"This feels different. I've worried 'bout her before, but this...I dunno, it feels worse than before." He admitted quietly.

Merle nodded slowly, looking up and noticing Michonne looking at the brothers with a small smile. He widened his eyes, pleading with her to help him but she shook her head with a smirk, motioning with her hand for him to continue.

"If I lost her…" Daryl started, but quickly shut his mouth, not able to finish the sentence. His chest constricted and it felt as though he forgot how to breathe.

"You won't." Merle said quickly, starting to feel uncomfortable at the display of emotion Daryl was showing, having been something he'd never seen before. He'd seen him angry, sure, but never so hopeless and just downright sad.

"I can't." Daryl said abruptly. He suddenly shook his head and began to fidget with his fingers, almost embarrassingly. "Sound like such a fuckin' pussy."

"You'd be an asshole if you didn't. Pretty sure that girl of yours would kick your ass if you weren't a sniveling bitch right about now."

Daryl huffed out a weak laugh and kicked his leg out, hitting Merle in the shin.

"You boys ready?" Michonne asked, stepping towards them and moving to the driver's seat.

"Hell yeah, let's go." Daryl replied, almost excitedly. He moved to close the door but stopped, his gaze finding Merle's one last time. He gave him a nod, silently thanking him for what he did, letting him vent and reassuring him when he had no hope.

Merle nodded back, getting into the seat behind him.

Daryl shook his head slightly. He never thought he'd be in this position, especially with Merle being the one to comfort him, no matter how slight the comfort had been. He was still on edge, still terrified about what waited for him back at the prison, but at least now he knew he really did have his brother to fall back on if the worse did happen.

Michonne stole a glance at Daryl as she started the car, her eyes moving to the rearview mirror to see Bob looking out the window solemnly.

"You good?" She asked the hunter beside her quietly.

"I will be." He mumbled without looking over at her, still clearly wrapped up in his worries. "C'mon, let's get goin'."

Daryl kept his eyes locked on the passing scenery. He was antsy knowing they were one step closer to getting back. His face was tense, locked into a scowl as his usual worries and fears ran through his mind like a song he couldn't get out of his head.

 _Just hold on a little longer, darlin'_

* * *

Rhiannon had been resting peacefully - as peacefully as she could with her whole body aching - she was almost asleep when she heard the first gunshot that had her bolting up from her bed.

The quick motions immediately had her feeling queasy and she leaned over her bed, spitting out bile for what was probably the tenth time just that day. She groaned, her head spinning as she sat up again and stood from her bed on shaking legs.

She leaned against the doorframe, clutching it tightly to keep her standing as her wide eyes took in the scene in front of her. Someone had turned and the chain reaction led to absolute chaos.

"Dad?" She called out weakly, wincing at the pain in her throat raising her voice had caused.

"Rhiannon, get back in your cell!" Her father yelled from the second floor.

She looked up, her eyes moving frantically to find him. When she realized who was laying at her father's feet, who he was helping, her stomach dropped and she immediately began to make her way up to help.

"Rhiannon, for once in your life listen to me, please. Stay in your cell." Hershel pleaded with her as he simultaneously worked on helping Glenn who was struggling to breathe.

Rhiannon paused, her chest heaving, her mind racing a mile a minute. She wanted desperately to go up there and help Glenn, but she doubted she could even make it up the stairs on her own. Her father was right, she knew there was nothing she could do to help, not in her condition.

Cursing under her breath, she walked backwards slowly to her cell, her eyes roaming the cell block that was noisy and violent, like a scene from a movie. She was about to close her cell door when she saw a walker slowly making its way towards Lizzie.

Rhiannon hadn't ever really spoken to the young girl, but she knew how much she and her sister meant to Carol and seeing her in danger had a new wave of energy hitting her.

She rushed forward and kicked the walker in the leg, making it fall to the floor. Rhiannon almost lost her own balance from the exertion just the small action had brought her.

"Lizzie, go!" She yelled, noticing the young girl was locked in her place, staring down at the walker that growled and reached out to her with curious eyes.

"He won't-"

"Go!" Rhiannon yelled, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away from the walker that was slowly getting back to its feet.

"No, you don't understand!" Lizzie yelled, slapping at Rhiannon's hand. She wasn't going to admit how much that actually hurt her. She practically pushed the girl inside an empty cell and slammed the door shut.

Before Rhiannon could even turn around the walker had caught up to her, its hands grabbing at her hair, trying to pull her head back. Rhiannon let out a pained groaned, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried desperately to wrench herself out of its grip.

"Fuck!" She yelled, fear underlying her voice as she was finally able to turn and push at the walker's chest.

Her arms felt like jelly and her vision spotted with black spots as she stumbled against the cell door behind her, trying to get her bearings. She watched as the walker began to get back up again, its sight set on her.

She cursed again, beginning to feel hopeless as she back up slowly, almost falling to the floor as she took her first step.

The walker reached out to her, its jaw snapping in desperation, now only inches from her face.

A gunshot rang out and the walker fell to the floor, blood splattering her face. She'd be worried about the germs that were spread on her if the virus wasn't already spreading so quickly within her.

Rhiannon swayed on her feet, her eyes falling closed, barely even acknowledging the fact that someone had just saved her life. She was seconds from collapsing to the floor and she would have had arms not wrapped around her waist, holding her up.

"Rhi? Stay with me. Please, open your eyes." She heard a teary voice plead to her.

Her eyes fluttered and she moaned helplessly, feeling another wave of nausea hit her. She felt her shoulders being shaken, her name being called again. This time she could recognize the voice and she forced herself to open her eyes.

"Maggie?" She mumbled, weakly reaching out to her.

Maggie sighed in relief and hugged her sister tightly while simultaneously walking her back to her cell.

"I'm here. You're gonna be fine." She breathed out, the state of her older sister in her arms bringing tears to her eyes.

"Glenn...you have to go to Glenn." Rhiannon slurred.

"I have to make sure you're ok."

"He's worse than me. Go to him."

Maggie looked conflicted, her eyes darting up to the second floor and back down to her sister in her arms. She clenched her jaw tightly and helped Rhiannon lay back on her cell.

"I'll be back to check on you, ok?"

Rhiannon nodded, making Maggie smile weakly. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to her older sister's forehead before sprinting out of her cell, making sure to close the door tightly behind her, and ran up to the second floor to help her husband.

Despite the noise erupting in the cell block, Rhiannon was able to fall asleep. She was so exhausted, nothing was able to keep her from practically passing out in mere seconds.

She didn't know how long she was able to sleep for. It wasn't until she felt fingers running through her hair gently that she stirred awake. She hummed, her eyes fluttering open.

"Shh, go back to sleep, baby girl. I was just checkin' on you." Her father whispered soothingly.

"Is Glenn ok?" She mumbled, trying to sit up, but was quickly stopped and forced to lay back down.

"He's ok. Maggie's with him now."

Rhiannon nodded, a small smile growing on her tired face. She was glad her friend was going to be ok, for now at least.

"Are they back yet?"

Hershel frowned and shook his head. "Not yet, but they will be."

Rhiannon stayed silent, her face twisted with sadness. The look broke Hershel's heart. He quickly moved up to sit on her bed and he gently moved her so she was cradled in his lap, like she was a child again.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired." She whispered weakly.

"Still feeling nauseous?"

She nodded in response, feeling too tired to respond verbally.

"That's a good sign. Your body's reacting as it should. The baby's fine. Just like I told you."

Rhiannon smiled lightly and nestled into her father's embrace, her eyes falling closed again and within seconds she was back asleep.

Hershel brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, smiling down at her softly. A shaking sigh left his lips as he finally felt himself beginning to calm down. Glenn was stable, Rhiannon was stable, the group should be back soon, and he still had his hope.

He looked down at Rhiannon's stomach, as if wishing he could see a bump. He felt giddy at the prospect of becoming a grandpa, he couldn't wait.

"I told you I would protect you and your little one." He whispered softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his daughter's head and wiping a stray tear that fell down his weathered face.

* * *

Daryl was out of the car before it had even stopped. It had been dark for hours and they had been gone for far too long. He had tried to keep hope but as the hours passed and the sun set, it was dwindling with each passing minute.

Now they were finally back and he was only seconds away from finding out if he'd been successful, if his girl was still alive, and he didn't think he was ready to find the answer. He couldn't bare to think about the alternative.

He ran through the halls, barely acknowledging anyone he passed, only stopping when he got to the door of cell block A. He swallowed thickly and moved slowly, hesitantly. What lay behind that door terrified him.

With a deep breath, he pushed it open and began to make his way to her cell, the last place he'd seen her. His steps faltered as he got closer and his heart began to hammer in his chest, making his breathing tremble erratically.

Bob jogged past him, his hands full with Ivs and medicines. Daryl didn't give him a second look, not even noticing where he was going, he didn't care, he just needed to see his girl.

He pushed through the fear that almost paralyzed him and he slowly peered into her cell. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Hershel cradling her to him, her eyes closed, her face peaceful.

He couldn't tell if she were sleeping, or if her fate had been much worse.

Hershel looked up, finally noticing his presence in the doorway, and a soft smile made its way onto his face, shadowing his exhaustion.

"Welcome back. Glad you made it safe and sound."

Daryl didn't acknowledge him or his words, his wide eyes stayed locked on Rhiannon's still form, his vision blurring as tears sprung to his eyes.

"Is...Is she?" He stammered, his voice wrecked with fear.

"She's sleeping." Hershel replied immediately, knowing the hunter was thinking the worst. He moved carefully, gently moving Rhiannon's head back to her pillow as he moved out from under her. "She's been worried about you."

Daryl rolled his eyes halfheartedly. Of course she had been, even though _he_ wasn't the one suffering with a virus. Daryl didn't respond, he didn't have to, Hershel knew the man in front of him had been worrying relentlessly.

"Stay with her, I'll get an IV." He told him, placing a hand on his tense shoulder.

Daryl nodded, barely understanding the words, his unwavering gaze still locked on Rhiannon.

Hershel looked at him intently as Rhiannon's confession ran through his head. He knew Daryl hadn't known, but with the way he so clearly loved his daughter, he couldn't think of anyone better to raise a child with his baby girl.

"Thank you for what you did. You saved a lot of lives… again."

Daryl finally tore his eyes away from Rhiannon and met Hershel's gaze, emotion swirling in them that looked so unfamiliar to him.

The hunter just nodded in response, his eyes casting down to the floor shyly.

"She'll be so happy to see you." Hershel told him and with one last reassuring squeeze to his shoulder, he left the couple alone.

Letting out a shaking breath, Daryl stepped forward and kneeled in front of the bunk, his hands moving to reach out to her before stopping, hovering in uncertainty.

It was as though Rhiannon could feel his presence. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open slowly. It took her a few seconds to break through the haze of her exhaustion, her brows furrowed in confusion before widening in realization.

"Oh my god." She breathed out, propping herself up on her elbow unsteadily and reaching out to him, not wanting to go another second without him by her side.

Daryl could see how weak she was and he moved to help her, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly, burying his head into the crook of her neck as he finally felt his tense body relaxing.

He breathed unsteadily, feeling himself beginning to lose his grip on his emotions as a few tears sprang to his eyes.

"You ok?" He rasped, his body trembling right along with hers.

She nodded, her hands clutching at the wings on the back of his vest tightly. Daryl pulled away, only slightly, keeping his hands on her waist. He gently moved her to the others side of the small bed, making room for him so he could lay next to her.

Rhiannon immediately threw her leg over his, nestling into his strong chest as he hugged her tightly.

"God, you scared the shit outta me. I thought I'd come back and you…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"Don't." Rhiannon told him, her hands moving to cup his jaw gently. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not." He mumbled, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you." He whispered, finally telling her the words he refused to say before he left, until he knew she would be ok.

Rhiannon smiled lightly and leaned in closer to him. "Love you too."

Not caring about the consequences, now that they had the medicine, he leaned down and kissed her gently. He finally felt like he could breathe again.

* * *

 **Huge apology for taking so long to write this, my mental health wasn't in the best state and I just really couldn't write at all the past few weeks. But things are looking up and I'm back!**

 **I know it's very annoying that Daryl STILL doesn't know about the baby but trust me, it is coming (like next chapter… shhh!)**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope you're still reading despite having to wait for so long.**

 **As always, a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. I love you all! xx**


	64. Chapter 64

Rhiannon winced as the IV was pulled out of her arm. Daryl's hand in hers tightened, sensing how uncomfortable she was. He hadn't left her side in hours, keeping a watchful eye on her as the medicine ran through her veins.

He felt like he was finally able to relax when he saw the colour returning to her cheeks and her eyes sparking with their usual light and intrigue. He felt like the crushing weight of the world on his chest was lightening each time she smiled at him, or when he noticed how she was able to sit up without getting dizzy.

It had taken a while, but she was on the road to becoming back to normal. Or as normal as she could be with that huge secret that was weighing her down.

"You're already starting to look better." Hershel noted with a smile.

"I feel better." Rhiannon responded, her voice sounding a lot less raspy and on the verge of death than it had been just hours before.

Hershel's eyes flickered over to Daryl and then back to Rhiannon. He looked at her knowingly, raising a telling brow. It was agonizing to Hershel knowing that Daryl wasn't aware of her condition, he couldn't even imagine what was going on inside Rhiannon's head.

Thankfully, Daryl's attention was fully captured by Rhiannon and he hadn't noticed Hershel's gaze that would surely make him suspicious. Rhiannon tensed ever so slightly and she gave her father a warning look that was so brief, he barely caught it.

"How's Glenn?" She asked, desperately trying to get her father's mind off the topic she'd been avoiding for far too long already.

"He's gettin' there. It'll take him a few more days to recover."

Rhiannon nodded solemnly. She didn't want to think about how close they'd come to losing him or Sasha. They were both taking longer to recuperate and it had everyone hesitant to fully relax from this shit show.

Rhiannon sighed, leaning her head back against the wall, her movements making Daryl look down at her worriedly, immediately fearing the worst.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate it in here." She mumbled, staring at the grey walls surrounding her with a deep frown.

"You're clear to leave. I trust that you'll help her if it gets too much for her." Hershel said to Daryl who nodded eagerly. He was ready to get the hell out of death row too and he had only been in there for a night.

"I'll check in on you later." Hershel told her, but his exaggerated smile had her seeing right through his words. What he really meant to say was 'I'll check to make sure you finally told him the truth'.

Rhiannon fought the urge to roll her eyes and she nodded slightly, trying not to get annoyed by her father's persistence. She knew he was excited but she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by his unwavering support.

Once they were left alone, she turned her head to face Daryl, a small smile growing when she found he was already looking at her.

"You look tired. Did you sleep at all last night?" She asked, her thumb gently tracing the dark circles under his eye.

Daryl just shrugged, clearly not bothered about his fitful night of watching her sleep and eyeing the rise and fall of chest intently, praying the rhythm would never stop.

"Didn't need to."

"That's bullshit."

Daryl rolled his eyes half heartedly at her calling him out. He leaned forward, pressing a feather light kiss to her lips in what was probably their millionth kiss just that morning. It was as though he had to keep reassuring himself that she was ok, that she was really sitting in front of him, living and breathing.

Rhiannon wasn't going to complain, and she tightened her grip on him, her arm snaking over his shoulders to hold him close.

"You'll tell me if you feel bad, alright? If you need any more of that medicine, you tell me." He told her straightforwardly.

His words cut her deep. She knew he would hate that she was keeping something from him and had been for days. Her face fell and she averted her gaze from his, feeling incredibly guilty under his watchful eyes.

He noticed her change in demeanor instantly and his brows furrowed, his hand moving under her chin to raise her head.

"What's goin' on?" He rasped, looking at her worriedly.

Rhiannon bit her lip nervously, her eyes moving to the cell around her and her nose scrunched in disgust.

"Can we go outside? I wanna sit in the sun."

Daryl looked at her curiously for a few moments before nodding. He stood from the bunk and held his hands out to help her up, despite her not needing as much help as he was willing to give. She wasn't _that_ weak.

Rhiannon's heart pounded as they slowly made their way out of the cell block. She knew it was time to come clean and she really hadn't wanted to tell Daryl the life changing news in death row where she had been resigned to the fact that it could've been where she'd take her last breath.

She wouldn't ever be going back to A block.

Daryl kept a firm hand on her waist as he guided her to the door. He helped shield her eyes from the harsh sunlight she hadn't been exposed to in days, but smiled nonetheless when he saw the look of relief on her face.

Rhiannon breathed deeply, a small smile growing when she felt the calming breeze on her skin, heard the trees rustling, felt the rays on sunlight on her face. It was the closest she'd ever feel to utopia in this world.

Daryl watched her with a smile, his chest tightening in a way that was so different from how it had been clenching for the last few days. He was finally at ease and not so choked with worry. This was cathartic for the both of them.

Daryl guided her to the grass so they could sit, knowing she'd prefer that to an uncomfortable bench. He helped her sit, ignoring the teasing look his over the top actions were earning him.

Rhiannon lay on her back, stretching her limbs out as she let the morning breeze cool her. The fresh air felt as though it was healing her better than any medicine she had taken, she already felt a thousand times better being out of that cell.

Daryl lay next to her, the both of them staring up at the blue sky above them, basking in the peaceful silence, thankful they still got to enjoy moments like these after coming close to losing each other.

The longer the silence between them grew, the more nervous Rhiannon got. She knew now was the perfect opportunity to finally tell him the huge secret that had been weighing her down for days.

She knew she couldn't back out anymore. She had to get this done.

Sensing the sudden tension coming off Rhiannon like waves, Daryl turned his head to face her, his face drawn tight in confusion and worry.

"You alright? I can get you some more antibiotics."

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I feel fine." Rhiannon told him, not wanting him to fly off the handle with worry before he even heard the news. She was just thankful she hadn't had any morning sickness yet, that would set him off for sure.

"What's got you thinkin' so hard?" He asked, his hand moving out to push away a strand of hair the breeze had moved in front of her eyes.

She closed her eyes at his touch, wishing she could keep this memory as it was, pure tranquility, without having it possibly ruined with his inevitable freak out. Her brows furrowed and she looked almost in pain as her mind ran with horrible possibilities.

Daryl looked at her in concern, sitting up and moving in closer to her, his eyes growing wide as his heart began to beat furiously. "Rhi?" He urged, his voice becoming more stern as he began to legitimately worry.

"I've been keeping a secret." She blurted out, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Ok..." Daryl said slowly, his voice hard as he began to fear the worse. His insecurities he worked so hard to keep at bay came hurtling at him like a tidal wave that forced him under water.

He couldn't help but think he was finally going to hear the conversation he'd been dreading to hear ever since she first kissed him at the farm. He was worried he'd hear her tell him she found someone else, someone better, someone more emotionally stable and grounded. Someone without a haunted past.

Rhiannon, seeing the look of dejected horror in his eyes, knew exactly what was going through his mind and she frowned deeply, genuinely hurt that he could ever think she'd let go of him like he always feared.

She sat up and reached out, taking his calloused hand in hers, making his eyes snap up to meet hers, almost startled by her touch, as he was broken out of his myriad of self deprecating thoughts.

Her eyes began to sting with tears at the evident relief her touch had brought him. She hoped that relief wouldn't be short lived.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice gruff and cold as it usually got when he was on edge.

Rhiannon paused, trying to figure out the easiest way to do this, a way in which Daryl wouldn't completely be thrown off the deep end, which was probably unlikely.

"You know I love you, right?"

Daryl nodded, looking confused and a little impatient at being left in the dark about whatever was clearly upsetting her.

"Being with you… it's made me feel like I finally have everything I ever wanted. It's like the world isn't in chaos. With you I feel like we can really have a normal life."

"You've told me all this before. What's really goin' on?"

Rhiannon sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over her face. She knew she was dragging this out but she was just having trouble getting the words out.

"The past few days have been terrifying." She started, her voice thick with emotion, making Daryl squeeze her hand in hers tighter. "But it really made me love you even more, if that's possible. You'd do anything to keep me safe, keep our family safe. Knowing you'll be here makes me a little less scared to go through with this."

The vagueness of her words had his stomach tightening and his face was hardened and creased with concern.

Rhiannon let out a shaking breath and moved in closer to him, squeezing his hands in hers.

"Daryl, I'm pregnant."

She watched his face carefully, trying to gage any kind of reaction from him but she found his expression completely blank, like his mind had stopped working all together. She held her breath, waiting to see how he would respond.

His body was rigid, like a bow string about to snap, and his breaths began to leave him in harsher rhythms. His grip on her hands went slack but she kept them in her grip, as if forcing him not to run away like he usually did when something big had shaken him.

He like to run away from their problems, they both did. It was quite a situation for the pair of them to come to terms with.

 _Pregnant_

The word ran through his head like an echo. He pictured her belly growing, pictured her holding a little baby with brown eyes and curly blonde locks. He suddenly saw Rick sobbing, falling to his knees in front of Maggie who held Judith, her arms coated in Lori's blood.

His heart stuttered and the memory of that day left him breathless. He couldn't let that happen to her. The fear that gripped him so tightly was familiar, it was the same kind of dread he felt yesterday when he was left wondering if he lost the only woman he'd ever love.

"Daryl?" She asked, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with the long stretch of silence.

Her voice brought him back to the present and his eyes found hers. His mouth opened but no words came out. He was shocked to say the least.

He couldn't decipher the feeling that gripped him tightly when he thought of a baby, their baby. Fear probably. He was definitely terrified that he'd lose her the way Rick lost Lori. He thought of his own father, too and it left him feeling even worse. He didn't know how to be a dad and he sure as hell never thought he'd get the chance to find out.

"I- I don't… how long?" He stammered out weakly.

Rhiannon didn't know if he was asking how long she'd known or how far along she was. She sighed and dropped her head, avoiding his gaze in guilt, not wanting to answer, but his steady gaze on her let her know there was no getting out of this.

"I found out a few days ago, after the run where I almost passed out, when we thought it was sun stroke. I can't be more than a few weeks along."

He breathed out deeply, his face still stuck in that blank expression of shock. It made Rhiannon even more nervous, not knowing what was going on in his head.

"You didn't think to tell me?" He asked, his tone sharper than before.

"I tried to, that morning D block went to hell and then I got sicker and I didn't know if the baby would survive. I was scared."

Daryl stayed silent, taking in her words slowly before nodding slightly and looking down at the ground beneath them.

"How do you… I mean, are you...ok with this?" She stuttered, quite surprised that he hadn't jumped up and started yelling yet.

He truly was shocked to his core. She'd never seen him like this before.

"I don't know how to feel." He mumbled.

Rhiannon nodded, swallowing thickly. "I didn't either. I'm scared, really fucking scared. But I think we can do this." She spoke softly, hoping she could make him see that this could be the best thing to ever happen to him, make him see what she'd been able to see in the last few days she'd been able to come around to the idea.

Daryl's gaze moved down to her stomach and his eyes narrowed, as if trying to confirm that this wasn't all a dream. His thoughts suddenly overwhelmed him and his breathing increased, his heart rate picking up as it hammered in his chest almost painfully.

It was as if the world had turned on its side, leaving him feeling light headed and paralyzed. He was audibly panting now, his eyes wide with fear. Rhiannon looked at him in concern and took his hand in hers but he didn't acknowledge her, he didn't even realize she had touched him, he was so lost in his whirlwind of panicked thoughts.

"I can't be a dad." He blurted out, his face panic stricken, now clearly showing every emotion he felt.

"W-what?"

"I can't fuck up a kid the way my dad-" He stopped, placing a hand over his mouth and shook his head. He suddenly stood and began pacing back and forth, his hands moving to grip at his hair.

"Daryl-" Rhiannon started, her eyes widening as she got to her feet, holding out her hands to stop him but he brushed her off and kept shifting from side to side like he always did when he felt overwhelmed.

"I can't lose you." He said abruptly, turning to look at her with wide, fearful eyes. "Look what happened to Lori. If I had to go through that, If I lost you and I had this baby that I had to- I can't!" He yelled, his voice rising, his words spewing out rapidly.

Rhiannon could tell he was scared and most likely on the verge of a panic attack. She reached out slowly and grabbed onto his hand, but he brushed her off again. She could hear his rapid, panting breaths and she began to worry.

"Daryl, you have to calm down."

"I can't!" He yelled at her. "I don't know how to do this."

The vulnerability she heard in his voice made her chest ache and her face fell, tears springing to her eyes. She'd never seen him so helpless before and it was heartbreaking to him slipping.

"Daryl, look at me, please." She pleaded with him, trying not to panic herself.

"I gotta...I gotta take a walk." He breathed out and turned on his heel, stomping away from her before she could say anything else.

Rhiannon didn't call out to him, she didn't go after him despite her body practically twitching and screaming at herself to move.

She knew pushing him wouldn't do any good. He needed to ride this out and come to his senses on his own. She tried not to feel hurt by him leaving but she thought back to how she'd felt when she first had the inclination about her pregnancy.

She had been scared, practically panicking the way he was now. And this was Daryl Dixon, the man didn't do well with change. She'd expected this, had readied herself for a freak out. She knew she shouldn't take it to heart, but it was hard. Logic wasn't helping her relax.

Blowing out a harsh breath, she placed a hand over her stomach, forcing herself to relax. Though it wasn't much help as tears began to blur her vision as she stood alone in the field.

* * *

Later in the day, when she felt more apt to be around people after reining in her emotions, she found her way back to the courtyard where people were milling about.

Carl was the first to spot her and the second he did, he was dropping the legs of the walker he was helping his dad drag to the car and running towards her.

Rick looked up, about to scold Carl for ditching so abruptly when he noticed the blonde making her way towards them. He smiled softly, watching with adoring eyes as Carl ran into Rhiannon's waiting arms, hugging her tightly.

"Whoa, you got strong." Rhiannon laughed breathlessly, trying to hold back a groan at Carl's tight grip.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his voice slightly muffled by the way his head was resting against her shoulder.

Rhiannon smiled sadly. "I'm ok." She assured him, trying hard not to think about the baby or Daryl.

Carl pulled away, looking at her intently, that worried expression still on his face, as if he didn't believe her.

Rhiannon smiled lightly, placing her arm over his shoulder as they walked back to the where Rick was dragging the walker on his own. He smiled up at the pair of them as they approached.

"You're lookin' better."

Rhiannon smiled shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked down at all the walkers that lay at their feet and her face hardened instantly.

"What happened here?"

"Had a breech, but we took care of it." Rick assured her, sending a wink to Carl who almost puffed out his chest at the proud look his father gave him, happy that he'd finally been included in the action for the first time in a long time.

Rhiannon smiled at Carl, noticing how different he was acting now. For so long he'd been reserved, as if silently protesting the fact that he wasn't able to help out the way he wanted. Now, he finally felt as though he could contribute the way he wanted, last night proved that.

As Rick dragged the body onto the back of the truck, Rhiannon moved to help Carl, hoisting the dead weight up in her arms.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'? You shouldn't be straining yourself." Rick reprimanded her with a look of surprise on his face. She was literally staring death in the face just yesterday and the last thing anyone expected from her was help cleaning.

"It's no trouble. I've been cooped up for too long." She shrugged, though she wouldn't deny that her arms were already aching. She also needed a distraction from Daryl but she wasn't going to mention that, knowing she'd have to explain why.

Rick looked at her curiously, trying to catch her bluff. He could tell she was tired, the dark circles under her eyes were telling, but he knew there was something else going on. There was something off about her.

He stepped towards her, catching her eyes as he leaned down to her height. "You sure you're alright?"

Her eyes snapped up, looking like a deer caught in headlights, for a moment before she collected herself and her masked expression was back. She nodded wordlessly, not trusting her voice at the moment. She knew if he started to pry and mention Daryl, she'd burst into tears in seconds.

Thankfully, they were interrupted before Rick could interrogate her as Beth approached them, her footsteps rapid in hurried anticipation to see her big sister finally safe.

Rhiannon could barely get out a greeting as Beth crashed into her, her arms winding around her neck as she held her tightly.

"I was so scared." Beth whispered shakily and Rhiannon felt her already fragile emotions break even further. Her arms tightened around her, finding comfort in her baby sister's embrace.

"I'm alright. I'm not going anywhere." Rhiannon told her. "Are you ok?" She asked, unable to hide how nervous she'd been being separated, if only for a couple of days.

Beth laughed slightly and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. _I_ wasn't the one in danger."

Beth pulled away from their bone crushing hug, wiping under her eyes. She looked over her shoulder, noticing Rick and Carl had moved back to carrying the walkers, and the sisters took a few steps back so they weren't in the way.

"Is the baby ok?" She asked in a hushed voice, making sure there was no chance of Rick or Carl overhearing.

Rhiannon's heart jumped and tears immediately sprung into her eyes as she thought back to how Daryl had reacted.

"Fine, I think. Dad said it's a good sign that I'm still having morning sickness."

Beth's face softened and a smile began to form on her innocent face. "Dad knows?"

Rhiannon nodded, a light laugh escaping despite how heavy her heart felt.

"Did you tell Daryl yet?"

Rhiannon's smile fell immediately and Beth's face fell, beginning to assume the worse. Rhiannon was quick to wipe the few tears that managed to fall and she turned away from Beth but it was useless as her sister reached out for her hands, not letting her bolt from the situation, as she'd been prone to do for the past couple of days.

"Rhi?"

She shook her head, blowing out a long breath as she fought hard not to completely break down.

"He freaked out. Said he needed to go for a walk and I haven't seen him since." She explained with a shaking voice.

"Well, you kind of figured this would happen, right? You knew he would need some time to process this and Daryl was never one to process things like a rational adult. You know him, storming off is kinda his thing."

"I guess." Rhiannon shrugged petulantly. "It still hurts though. I'm scared too and I can't do this alone."

"You won't be. Just let him calm down. It'll all work out, I know it will."

"You know it will?" Rhiannon echoed Beth's words with a slightly sarcastic tone, slightly annoyed by her sister's optimism.

"Yeah, I do. Because if there's anyone in this world that deserves to be happy, that deserves a family, it's you and Daryl."

That had Rhiannon falling quiet, her cynicism ebbing away at Beth's words and she finally began to calm herself, her tears no longer falling.

"You really believe that?"

Beth nodded and squeezed Rhiannon's hands in hers. "I do. And I'm sure Daryl will too, just give him time. You're gonna give him the greatest gift in the world, there's no way he could ever be mad about that."

Rhiannon smiled softly, shocked that she was actually able to feel a little less panicked than before. She didn't think that'd be possible until she spoke to Daryl but her baby sister had a way of being a ray of sunshine that lifted everyone's spirits.

"Thanks, Bethie."

Beth squeezed her hand and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her sister's cheek, feeling proud that she'd been able to make Rhiannon smile despite everything going on. She reached out, placing her hand over Rhiannon's stomach that was still flat, showing no sign of the life growing inside her.

"I can't wait to spoil the little one."

Rhiannon tensed slightly,looking out for Rick and Carl to make sure they weren't looking. Satisfied that they weren't she placed her hand over Beth's, taking in a calming breath.

"Me too."

Rhiannon was contemplating going to find Daryl and work things out, but when she noticed her father making his way out of the prison it made her realize she would much rather stay with him, with her family, where she knew she wouldn't get hurt.

She hated to admit it, but being with Daryl at this moment would only cause her pain. He needed to work through the news on his own, her getting involved would only complicate things for him. She didn't know how his thought process worked, hell, even she didn't even really know how _she_ came to terms with the idea of a baby, but she knew only Daryl could figure this out for himself.

She kept quiet as she watched her father make his way to the truck where all the bodies had been piled high to be taken care of outside the fences. Michonne got into the driver's side, giving Rhiannon a warm smile as she had passed her. It had Rhiannon making up her mind before she could even really think about what she was doing.

She approached the car slowly, smiling at her father who was already making his way towards her, most likely ready to say goodbye.

"I wanna go with you." She spoke up before her father could get a word in.

Hershel's eyes widened and he sputtered for a few seconds, not knowing what to say.

"Dad, I almost died here. I need to get out, just for a couple of hours."

"Baby girl, I don't think-"

"I told Daryl and he freaked out." Rhiannon interrupted and Hershel sighed, his head hanging low. "I can't be here right now." She continued, her voice no more than a whisper.

Hershel still couldn't formulate a response. He looked at her sadly, biting his lip, contemplating his decision.

"Dad, please. I just wanna be out there, in the fresh air, before I have to face my responsibilities."

"Ok, fine. But you're staying in the car. You're not going to do any of the heavy lifting."

Rhiannon smiled, rolling her eyes half heartedly. "Got it, boss."

She moved to get into the car but he reached out for her hand, stopping her before she could walk away. She looked at him questioningly and the worried expression in his warm eyes had her stomach falling slightly, knowing she was in for a heart to heart she really didn't want to have now.

"Are you ok?"

"I dunno."

"You know, no matter what happens, we'll figure this out. I know Daryl well enough to know you won't be raising this baby on your own."

Rhiannon stiffened, biting her lip roughly. "Can we not talk about this right now?" After explaining it to Beth and getting a whole speech out of it, she really didn't want to go through it again. There a came a point where people's words of encouragement just became meaningless noise.

Hershel nodded, still looking at her with that sad expression she hated to see, and he guided her to the car.

Michonne looked at both of them in surprise as they climbed in the front seats.

"Uh, what's going on?" She asked in confusion, looking Rhiannon over, as if expecting to find a glaring reason to not to let her go with them.

"Just thought it'd be good for me to get some fresh air."

"You do realize we'll be burning dead bodies. Nothing fresh about that air."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Well, humour me, then. I don't wanna keep staring at those grey walls. It's depressing."

Michonne nodded in understanding, giving her a small smile. "I'm glad you're ok." She said quietly. Rhiannon smiled softly, thankful that they'd given the woman a chance and that she'd become a good friend.

As they drove out of the gates of the prison, leaving behind all the stressors that came with the dreary building, Rhiannon thought she'd feel better, that she'd feel like a weight had been lifted, but she still felt that crushing ache in her chest.

It wouldn't stop until Daryl was by her side, until she knew for sure that this baby wasn't going to tear them apart.

* * *

Daryl had been sitting alone in some random hallway for a long time. He knew it had been too long and that he had really screwed things up. He had no doubt that Rhiannon was royally pissed at him. He may have been able to reconcile things if he'd been able to calm down in time, but he had left things for too long and there was no way she wasn't mad at him, or at least freaking out almost as much as he still was.

His hands were still trembling slightly, a result of his panic attack, but he'd managed to calm his breathing down to a normal rate that wouldn't leave him feeling light headed.

Her words lingered in his head, leaving no others thoughts but his crippling fear that he'd fuck up their child the way his own father had done to him.

Rhiannon deserved better than him, he'd known that from the start, and their child deserves better than him. He didn't know how Rhiannon couldn't see that.

"What the hell you doin' here?" Merle startled him out his whirlwind of thoughts, staring down at him curiously. "Thought you and Bambi would be gettin' it on, makin' up for lost time." He grinned sardonically.

Daryl sighed heavily, squeezing his eyes shut in annoyance as he tried desperately not to lash out at his brother.

Merle could see the distress on Daryl's face that went so much deeper than his usual scowl or glare of disdain he usually was sending him. No, there was something much worse going on. His body tensed and he moved to sit next to his brother on the floor, looking at him questioningly.

"She ok?" Merle asked quietly, assuming the medicine hadn't worked and Rhiannon had taken a turn for the worse.

"She's pregnant."

Merle's eyes widened and he almost choked on his own breath. He felt a stab of fear, his normal reaction when hearing about a pregnant woman, immediately assuming it was due to one of his many stupid decisions. Even if he had no responsibility in this situation, seeing his brother so worked up was enough to have him scared.

"Shit, you don't know how to pull out?" Merle quipped, the only way he knew how to respond to a tense situation like this. It had the most undesired reaction as Daryl grit his teeth, looking about a second away from beating the holy hell out of his brother.

"This ain't a fuckin' joke, Merle." Daryl snapped, his face turning red with anger. "She's havin' a baby, _we're_ havin' a baby." He continued to ramble, his voice sounding frantic as he began to panic again.

"And?"

Daryl looked over at his brother with narrowed eyes, his resolve slipping dangerously.

"The world ended. Most people lost everythin' they ever cared 'bout. But you found it. You got a girl, startin' a family. Not many people can say this new order ever gave 'em shit. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Merle, I can't be a dad."

"Why not? Our old man was the scum of the earth, you _know_ that. What makes you think you'd be anythin' like him?"

Daryl just shrugged, he hadn't thought of it that way. He knew all of his father's mistakes and he already treated Rhiannon better than any woman his father ever came across, he didn't know why this situation would suddenly be different, but his fear wouldn't let him see it rationally.

"Do you realize how lucky you are?" Merle asked, breaking him from his confusing thoughts.

Daryl breathed out deeply, the conflict in his head leaving him feeling drained. "I know I'm the luckiest son of a bitch around. But that don't mean I'm ready to be a dad. Never thought 'bout it before, never thought I'd ever get the chance."

"Well, now you do and you ain't throwin' it away."

"I'm not throwin' it away." Daryl snapped defensively. "Ain't leavin' her." He said quietly, almost in disbelief that that could ever even be an option. The thought was so absurd to him.

"Does she know that?"

Daryl paused, thinking about Merle's words deeply, his face falling in realization about how horribly he'd reacted.

"Look, I get this is terrifying. God knows I'd be in different state by now if this were me. But you sure as hell ain't me, you've made that pretty damn clear. You're a better man than I ever was."

Daryl looked at Merle in surprise, his words genuinely shocking him. Merle looked down bashfully, embarrassed by his confession. These people were turning him into a sap. He clapped his hand on his little brother's shoulder, giving him the only kind of reassurance he could give him.

Daryl gnawed on his lip, his fingers tapping against his thigh erratically. Despite Merle talking some sense into him, which is something he'd never thought he'd come across, he couldn't help the fear that nagged at him incessantly.

"I don't think I can do this." He mumbled, ashamed to say the words out loud. "I can't bring a child into this fuckin' world. I won't be a good dad, I can't protect it."

"Who says you can't?" Merle countered, trying not to get annoyed by the fact that nothing he was saying was making Daryl pull his head out of his ass and realize how good he had things. "I've seen you with Officer Friendly's little girl, I've seen how you are with your girl, and it's disgusting." Merle joked, glad that he got Daryl to roll his eyes in jest at his comment.

"Daryl, you'll be a good dad, I'm sure of it. You had to grow up on your own and I know you'd do anything to make sure no kid, 'specially your own, would ever have to go through the shit you did."

Daryl could hear the underlying guilt in Merle's tone, guilt for how he'd practically abandoned him all his life and it had Daryl feeling as though a weight he'd been carrying with him all his life had finally been lifted.

Knowing Merle felt bad about the state of their brotherhood for so long had Daryl feeling as though they'd passed a certain milestone he'd always wanted to get past. Daryl could finally move on from their strained past and have a real bond with his brother.

Granted, it had come at probably the worst possible time, the most stressful time for him that was for sure, but he wasn't going to complain that it had finally happened.

"Thanks, Merle." Daryl mumbled, feeling slightly overwhelmed and embarrassed by the state of their conversation.

Merle just shrugged, feeling just as out of his element as his brother felt. "Go get your girl. Make things right. Just make sure you change your tampon first."

Daryl closed his eyes, shaking his head. He really shouldn't be surprised that Merle could only be serious for a limited amount of time and he could only roll his eyes at his comment, not having any fight left in him to snark back or ruin what had been a good moment between them.

"Right." Daryl mumbled, getting up from his spot on the floor. He started to walk away but stopped, turning to look at Merle one last time. "You know, when you inevitably knock up some poor woman, I'll be there for you."

Merle laughed sarcastically and flipped his brother off, though he couldn't deny he was thankful to see the small smirk on his face as he walked away, back to his girl.

* * *

Outside the prison, Rhiannon sat on the hood of the truck, swinging her legs childishly, feeling useless as she watched Michonne and her father, who had a prosthetic foot, do the heavy lifting.

"You know I'm not on my death bed anymore, right? I can actually handle moving a body." She chimed in, trying again to convince them to let her help.

Both Michonne and Hershel gave her mirroring looks of annoyance, their refusal clear. Rhiannon held her hands up in surrender, laying back on the hood of the car. She watched silently as they started the fire on the huge pile of bodies, the sight making something in Rhiannon feel downtrodden. It was never easy to see so many people that had been taken out by this fucked up world.

The smoke that rose with the flames crawled her way and as soon as she got a whiff of the burning bodies her stomach twisted violently and a wave of nausea hit her forcefully. She was off the truck in seconds, hunched over by the bushes next to them as she emptied her stomach.

Hershel winced and moved as quickly as he could to get to her. He held her hair away from her face, his hand rubbing her back soothingly as he let her go through her bout of morning sickness.

Michonne watched with concern, taking a small step forward, but stopped when Hershel subtly shook his head. She raised a brow, her eyes narrowing curiously as she looked at Rhiannon who was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, looking almost annoyed more than anything.

"Is everything ok?" Michonne asked.

"I'm fine. Regretting my decision to come out here now. You were right, nothing fresh about this air." Rhiannon joked, trying to lighten the mood so Michonne wouldn't ask any more questions, but she knew the woman was too smart to be distracted like that and her questioning gaze didn't falter.

"The others weren't puking were they?" She asked, looking to Hershel now who stood rigidly, his eyes moving down to Rhiannon nervously as he tried to think of a lie.

"We should head back. It's not safe for you to be out here in your condition." He said with finality, holding Rhiannon by her elbows to help steady her.

"Her condition?"

"Just get in the car, please." Hershel practically begged, side stepping Michonne's question completely.

Michonne looked at Rhiannon in concern, but the woman refused to look at her, feeling like she was under a microscope with her intense stare. Michonne shook her head, knowing she'd get her answers on the way back if she pestered them enough.

She was moving to get to the driver's seat when she head the unmistakable sounds of branches snapping under the weight of someone's foot. She frowned and reached up to grab her weapon off her back when she was suddenly struck across the head, her vision going black immediately.

Rhiannon turned on her heel, having heard the bone chilling sound of someone being hit and her heart dropped down to her stomach when she found the cold gaze of the man who she thought had disappeared from their lives. He looked at her the same way he had back in Woodbury, with awe and intrigue and it had her breathing stuttering in fear.

Hershel reached for his gun, but the weapon the Governor held was pointed at him within a second, stopping his movements altogether.

"Get in the car." He ordered and Rhiannon shivered at the sound of his voice.

Hershel swallowed thickly, sparing a brief and worry filled glance with Rhiannon before complying. Rhiannon followed slowly, cursing herself for coming out there in the first place, knowing she was too weak to fight back.

The Governor hoisted Michonne into his arms, practically throwing her carelessly into the back seat. Rhiannon moved to get in beside her when he stopped her.

Her body tensed and she squeezed her eyes shut as the Governor leaned against her, his hands moving to cup her face. She felt like throwing up again, and this time it wouldn't be from the life growing inside her.

"You cut your hair." He mused softly, twirling a strand between his fingers.

Rhiannon cringed and shied away from him, keeping her eyes firmly planted on the ground to avoid seeing the deranged look in his eye that had haunted her for months.

"I like it." He whispered in her ear, nuzzling into her slightly, before pulling away with a smirk, feeling a sick satisfaction at how he felt her tremble against him.

"Get in, we're gonna go for a little drive." He told her, his hand falling to her waist to help get into the backseat.

Rhiannon felt her skin prickle at where he touched her and she eagerly slammed the door shut behind her. She looked down at Michonne who was unconscious, her forehead bleeding from the impact. She cursed under her breath and moved her head so it lay in her lap, practically cradling the woman to her side, as if Michonne could give her comfort in her state.

Hershel turned to face his daughter, his fearful eyes meeting hers. He nodded slightly, giving her a silent reassurance that they would be ok, but she just shook her head. She didn't believe him.

Rhiannon bit her lip when she began to feel it trembling. She could feel the Governor's gaze on her as he drove, his eyes moving to the rearview mirror every couple of seconds to glance at her.

Her heart was hammering inside her chest and she let her tears fall freely as she was resigned to the fact that she was once again in the hands of the man who would love nothing more than to see her hurt.

She placed a hand over her stomach subtly. _I'm sorry, little one,_ she thought to herself. She'd barely found out she was going to be a mother and was already putting her baby in danger, again.

The thought had more tears falling from her eyes.

* * *

Daryl was becoming more frantic the longer it took to find her. He checked the courtyard and the field where he'd left her and when he didn't see her he felt as though he'd become on the verge of another panic attack.

He stormed into the cell block, his eyes wide as he scanned the room. He wanted nothing more than to find her and apologize for how he'd reacted. He was still scared shitless at the prospect of raising a baby, but he knew he would do anything for her, would give anything to be with her.

She needed to hear him say those words, for both their sanity.

He found Rick sitting with Judith on his lap and the sight of the baby had his heart racing as, for the first time, he stared at the baby with hesitation. He approached them slowly, forcing himself to look away from the glaringly obvious sign of his fear that was currently staring at him, reaching out to be held by her uncle Daryl.

"Have you seen Rhiannon?"

"She went with Hershel and Michonne to dispose the bodies." Rick answered nonchalantly as he continued to feed his daughter.

Daryl's shoulders straightened and he looked at Rick fiercely, his jaw tightening. "What?" He asked through gritted teeth.

His tone had Rick raising his head and he looked at the hunter questioningly when he saw the scowl on his face.

"What?"

"You let her go out there?"

"You really think I have any control over what she decides to do? Even Hershel didn't try and stop her." Rick shrugged, almost defensively. He didn't want to admit that he felt strange about letting Rhiannon go out beyond the fences and Daryl getting short with him was just confirming his guilt.

"She was sick yesterday. She's finally starting to feel better and she's-" Daryl stopped abruptly, realizing how close he was to blurting out the big secret.

"She'll be fine, she's with her dad and Michonne. They'll keep her safe if anythin' happens." Rick told him, ignoring how his sentence had been cut short.

 _If anything happens._ That didn't make him feel any better.

Daryl sighed, running a hand through his tangled hair roughly. He needed to relax and without Rhiannon there he didn't know how to do it. There was probably only one other person who could talk him off the ledge now.

"Well then have you seen Carol? I need to talk to her about somethin'."

Rick paused, his face hardening and it had Daryl tensing again.

"I need to talk to you about that." Rick said quietly.

Daryl sighed audibly, sounding annoyed and impatient. This day was getting worse and worse and all he wanted was to find his girl, hold her tightly and tell her he was never letting go. There were too many loose ends and it had him feeling more anxious than he could remember ever feeling.

"Come on." Rick said, motioning for Daryl to follow him into the cell block for what he knew would be a very intense conversation.

Daryl followed behind him, his hands already shaking with anger and impatience.

* * *

"Don't touch me!" Michonne hissed as the Governor placed a bandage on her forehead, glaring up at him intently.

The look of hatred on her face had even Rhiannon shifting in her place uncomfortably and it wasn't even directed at her.

The Governor smirked again, amused by Michonne's defiance now that he had her tied up and he was the one with the upper hand.

"Nobody's gonna hurt you." He told them and Rhiannon didn't even try to hide her eye roll.

"I don't believe that." Her father spoke up, looking at him and then his daughter nervously, knowing how insane the man in front of them was when it came to her.

"You can believe what you want. The only thing I want is the prison. I have people I have to take care of and I need a safe space for them." He answered casually.

"What makes you think you deserve it?" Rhiannon asked, her voice harsh. She was surprised by it considering how terrified she really was to be in his clutches again.

"I don't. But the people I need to protect do."

Rhiannon was surprised by his admittance and she looked back at him thoughtfully, trying to find any hint of malice in his words. She had a hard time believing he had changed or even had people he cared about.

Michonne scoffed, she didn't believe a word out of his mouth. She stared at the Governor with nothing but contempt.

"I'm gonna kill you."

"Stop." Hershel warned, not wanting this to get out of hand, especially when they were tied up and didn't have any way of fighting back. "We can find a way to make this work, we can live together-"

"You know that isn't an option." The Governor interrupted. "Rick and I will never be able to live together. Michonne and I will never be able to live together."

"We can find a way-"

"I found a way." He yelled, turning to face them and the cold look in his eye had a chill running down Rhiannon's spine. "I'm taking the prison. I'll do it as peacefully as I can but you know Rick won't let that happen. That's why I need the three of you."

"You're willing to kill to get what you want."

"I'm willing to kill for the people I need to protect." He corrected Hershel, as if semantics made him any less of a sociopath.

"You know what it's like to have a daughter, to want to protect her with everything you have. The people at the prison you're so willing to kill, the families that are there, _my_ daughters. How can you be so willing to hurt someone else's when you know what it was like for you to lose yours?" Hershel reasoned with him.

For a moment, Rhiannon had a glimmer of hope when she saw the contemplative look on the Governor's face but it quickly died as he composed himself and that cold mask slipped back into its place.

"Because they aren't mine." He said cooly and moved to leave the trailer.

Hershel's eyes widened and he sat up straighter. He could sense his patience slipping, his only hope dwindling quickly, and he knew he needed to do something to protect them, to protect his daughter who was sat next to him and his daughters at the prison who were oblivious to the pending attack.

"You wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman. I know you aren't that heartless." He blurted out, grasping at straws to gain just a little bit of sympathy from the Governor.

"Dad." Rhiannon hissed, squeezing her eyes shut.

Michonne's jaw dropped slowly and she looked over Rhiannon with wide, fearful eyes, finally understanding what was going on with her.

The Governor looked taken aback. His eye widened and he looked at Rhiannon so intently, she felt naked under his gaze. He moved forward slowly, his fists clenched tightly to stop his hands from trembling.

He kneeled in front of her and she swallowed thickly, her eyes locked above his head, refusing to meet his gaze.

His hands reached out slowly and she flinched when she felt his hand on her stomach. She squirmed, her legs kicking out to push him away.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled, feeling as though she needed fifty showers after his brief touch.

He sighed deeply, fed up with her pushing him away. He reached out, gripping onto her hair tightly, making her wince and close her eyes as he leaned in closer to her.

Don't-" Hershel called out, his entire body buzzing, ready to jump up and tackle the Governor himself if he did anything to his baby girl.

"I knew you were just a whore." The Governor whispered in her ear, his lips grazing against her skin slightly, making her cringe and her face crease as she fought hard not to burst into tears.

"It's the hunter right? Merle's brother?"

Rhiannon felt herself go rigid against him, she didn't want the Governor knowing about Daryl. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

The Governor smiled, her expression giving him his answer. He leaned in closer to her, reveling in the way she flinched and squirmed, desperate to get away from him. He couldn't explain why that gave him so much satisfaction.

"I'll make sure I kill him first." He whispered.

Rhiannon breathed heavily, her jaw clenching. She steeled herself and turned her head so her fierce gaze found his, showing pure hatred instead of weak fear as she had shown before.

"The people you love, the ones you're trying so hard to protect, do they know what you've done? Do they know what you'd do to me? Does the woman you're with know you think of me?" She taunted him right back, smiling slightly when she saw him recoil as if she'd physically hit him.

The Governor was breathing harshly, staring down at her with hatred. Hershel was holding his breath, as if waiting for the Governor to strike. Michonne was watching him intently, _she_ was ready to strike, to get him before he got to Rhiannon.

Finding out about her pregnancy had her finding a new kind of energy inside her, more of a reason to kill the Governor before he hurt any of them. She couldn't help but feel extremely protective of her friend. She couldn't let anyone else lose their child the way she lost hers.

The Governor stood up straighter, taking a deep breath to compose himself and moved towards the door once more.

"Say whatever prayers you need to. We'll be leaving soon." He told them, slamming the door behind as he left.

Rhiannon breathed out harshly, her lips quivering as the strong mask she'd put on fell immediately. Hershel leaned in closer to her, his bound hands finding hers.

"We'll be ok. I promise you, baby girl, we'll get out of this." He whispered to her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Despite her father's words, she couldn't stop the tears that fell.

* * *

 **Soooo….**

 **Things are pretty fucked up for everyone right now. I know a lot of heavy stuff is coming and I hope you're all still with me.**

 **So overwhelmed by the response I got on the last chapter, you have no idea how much your feedback means to me. xx**


End file.
